


Behind the Mask

by ahill3



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff and Angst, Hogwarts, I'm Bad At Tagging, Original Character(s), Triwizard Tournament, draco is mr. darcy?, pride and prejudice based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahill3/pseuds/ahill3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie and her best friend Jake are heading over to Hogwarts. On her way there she meets Draco Malfoy, and in her eyes he was rude, arrogant and a complete scoundrel. She was surprised to find how much she was wrong once she got to know him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lizzie and Jake

**Author's Note:**

> Welllllll, I love Draco and I love Pride and Prejudice...so here is Pride and Prejudice Harry Potter Style…
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

> _Dear Diary,_
> 
> _I am so pumped! I am finally going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I know, I'm already a witch, but I always have wanted to go to Hogwarts. As you know I go to a wizarding school called Hopkins International in America, but I finally get to take my talents to Hogwarts! For my 14th birthday, father told me that he got me accepted into Hogwarts, and I am jumping off the walls with excitement, but I am also extremely nervous._
> 
> _I mean, it makes sense for me to be worried right? I am coming in for the fourth year, and everybody in my grade will probably have a set group of friends, and don't get me wrong I'm not an outcast, it's not my style…its just that I get shy when I first meet people, but believe me once I get to know them, watch out, because I'll never stop talking. Also, I'm sad about leaving my friends here in the states, but I would see them on holidays and I can always write to them. I just keep telling myself: it has been my dream to go to Hogwarts._
> 
> _Today is that fateful day that I am leaving for the train and I'm packing my things right now. I'm really mad because my cell phone will not work, but it can work in Hogsmeade. I think I'll bring it just in case. The worst thing about leaving is that I am going to be away from my best friend Jake. He said that he would be over before I left and that he had a good-bye present to give me. I think I packed everything…if not hopefully I can get it there. I'm about to go say good-bye to my family. My mom is probably going to cry, believe me she can't hold anything in. And I bet my two younger brothers will be missing in action, they could care less if I leave. I'm sure they do care deep down inside…_
> 
> _Anyway, I'm about to leave! So the next time you will be hearing from me is at Hogwarts!_
> 
> _Lizzie_

Lizzie headed outside to see that her father started to pack the car. As soon as he finished, he was ready to go, but Jake still wasn't there. Lizzie asked her dad if they could wait a few more minutes, but he said that we had to get to the airport on time. She was about to protest, but she stopped because she couldn't miss the flight. Lizzie went into the car, and she was immensely sad, she realized she didn't even get to say good-bye to her best friend, and she would not see him till the holidays.

"Oh come on now, Lizzie. You didn't honestly think I was gonna let you leave without saying good-bye?" She screamed as she saw that Jake in the back seat of the car.

"But, how? You weren't there a second ago." Lizzie was confused and she made her way to the back of the car.

Mr. Adams smiled and said, "Disillusion charm."

"Ohhh, it all makes sense now." She turned to Jake and said, "I am going to miss you so much. I don't even think you know."

"Actually Lizzie I think I do know. You're my best friend…so I have decided to come to Hogwarts with you." He said in a nonchalant voice.

That took a few seconds to sink in. Then she started to scream, and gave him a big hug. "Oh my gosh! That is amazing!" They talked to each other all the way to the airport. The flight seemed like forever, and she decided she wasn't as nervous with Jake by her side. The plane finally landed, and they immediately went into a car to take them to the train station.

"We finally made it!" Lizzie was jumping with joy as the taxi pulled up to the curb. She opened the door and jumped out, going for her things.

"Calm down Lizzie, geez!" Jake said, "It's a good thing that I am going with you…you might get a little too out of control if I wasn't there."

"Oh shut up, you know I'm an angel."

"That's good to know." Mr. Adams chimed in. He continued to get the rest of Lizzie and Jake's things while they were looking for the infamous platform 9 ¾.

"Dad! We found it!"

"That's great, how about you take some of your luggage."

"Aww, but I thought I was your little princess." She joked as she took some items from her dad.

"You are Lizzie, but wait." He set down the rest of the luggage and pulled her close to him. "I hope you know that your mother and I will be thinking of you all the time and we are always here for you."

Lizzie tried to suppress a giggle, "Oh dad, I know!" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, grabbed her luggage and walked toward the brick wall. When she was on the other side, she flipped out, "It actually worked!" This is absolutely amazing!" Jake quickly came after her, equally surprised.

Lizzie headed straight for the train, and Jake quickly followed. She was mesmerized by the train and did not see anything but it. That is very unfortunate because halfway there she ran into someone. More like ran over someone. She stopped abruptly and turned around, "Oh! I am so sorry!" She saw that it was a boy with piercing gray eyes and slick blond hair.

He turned to look at her with a slight glare. She waited for a response, but she didn't get one. He just kept looking at her like she wasn't worth his time. She tried again, "Do you want me to help you with your stuff?"

He just kept glaring at her, and this was getting her angry. She was about to tell him that when Jake walked up, "What is going on here?" He asked, looking more at Lizzie than the mysterious guy.

"Nothing, I was just leaving." The guy said. He looked her over with that annoying gaze, picked up his things and left for the train.  _Well, he finally talked._  Lizzie thought.

When he was out of ear shot Jake looked at her and asked, "Who is that guy?"

Lizzie shrugged, "I dunno, he didn't say anything to me. He just stood there looking at me like I was a worthless piece of trash. That arrogant boy, who does he think he is? He doesn't even know me."

"That's usually the impression people get from meeting Draco Malfoy, but don't worry not everyone at Hogwarts is like that." You turned around to see who was eavesdropping, and it was another boy that looked about the same age as Lizzie. He had messy hair, and underneath his glasses, he had pretty green eyes. Right above his eyes, on his forehead, there was a lightning shape scar. Lizzie realized at once that this was Harry Potter. As if the boy could read her mind, he smiled, "Yes, I'm Harry Potter, and it's nice to meet you…" He looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"Lizzie," she finished, "Lizzie Adams, and this is Jake Matthews."

Harry shook his hand, "Are you guys new?"

Jake answered his question, "Yes, but technically we are in out fourth year of school. We transferred from another wizarding school that's in the states."

"Oh. That's cool. Well, do you guys want to sit with me and my friends on the train?"

Lizzie and Jake agreed right away. They followed Harry onto the train. Lizzie gave an excited look to Jake. _What was I worried about? I'll fit in fine, especially with Jake here to help. Uh, why can't I get that stupid Malfoy kid out of my head? He's such a jerk._

Harry stopped at one of the compartments. When they walked in, they saw a tall lanky boy with fiery red hair, and a petite girl with bushy brown hair. They introduced themselves as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The ride was a little awkward at first, but then everyone opened up and it became enjoyable.

"So what house do you think you are going to be in?" Ron asked.

Lizzie and Jake gave each other puzzled looks, "What do you mean by houses?"

The three of them turned to look at Lizzie and Jake with stunned expressions, "You guys don't have houses at your old schools?" They both shook their head.

Hermione explained that the kids were sorted into different houses based on their personality. "There is Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." They continued to tell Lizzie and Jake what was known from each house. "We are all in Gryffindor." She finished.

"So what do you have at your school?" Harry asked.

"Well, we have teams which I guess are like houses, but they change every year." Lizzie responded

"What?" Ron asked.

"Like, it's just one big tournament. Every year, we get placed on a random team, and the oldest members are the leaders." Jake replied.

"Kind of like prefects?" Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, I guess. Then throughout the year we have these crazy events that each team has to participate in. Sometimes it gets intense, but usually it is just a lot of fun." Lizzie answered.

"And that's really the only time we are separated. We mix when we eat, and our schedules have people from all the teams on it. We share dorms with other people. I guess since we change every year, it's hard to get attached to just one group of people. So everyone just gets along." Jake finished.

Ron laughed, "Yeah, that's not how it is here."

Hermione interjected before Lizzie or Jake could ask about that, "He doesn't mean that…well, sort of. We do tend to stick with our houses more than other people, but we all get along, except for the Slytherins. They are just a bunch of jerks."

"Your friend, Malfoy, is in Slytherin." Harry said sarcastically.

"Oh." Lizzie said, "That must be bad"

Hermione looked at her watch, and realized that they only had a half an hour till the train reached the castle. They boys went to change in a bathroom while Lizzie and Hermione changed in the compartment.

"So, your school sounded like so much fun. How come you wanted to leave?"

"Yeah, it was fun, and I had many friends there, but this is Hogwarts. And I have wanted to go here  _forever_!"

The last thirty minutes went by very quickly and soon enough the train pulled to a stop. Lizzie and Jake did not know what to do, so they just followed Harry, Ron and Hermione. They ended up on horseless carriages, and when they could finally see the castle, it was breathtaking.

Lizzie and Jake were in the beginning of the group coming into the castle. A woman pulled them aside immediately. "You are Lizzie Adams and Jake Mathews, correct?"

"Yes." Jake answered for both of them.

"I am Professor McGonagall. You two are going to be sorted before the first years. After you find out what house you are in, you are to go to the respected tables. Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Ok follow me." She took them into the Great Hall before anyone else could get inside.

"Jake, what happens if we aren't in the same house?" Lizzie looked a little scared.

Jake pulled her into a reassuring hug, "Everything will be fine. Even if we are in different houses, we will only be five minutes away from each other. It's way better than a whole country away."

Lizzie smiled at that, "That is true." He let her go as the rest of the students started to come in. She noticed that arrogant boy from before and looked away. She was already nervous she didn't want to think about him too.

She turned to face the teacher's table, but no later did she hear a voice next to her say, "Don't worry, it isn't as bad as it seems." Before she could turn around and see who it was, Malfoy walked right by her. Lizzie realized that he was the only one near her, when she heard that voice.  _Why is he saying that to me?_  She thought,  _he is probably trying to make up for how he acted at the station. No, that voice couldn't possibly be from him._  She casually looked over to where he was sitting. He saw that Lizzie was looking at him and gave her a smirk. Lizzie quickly adverted her eyes.  _Well, that went well. Ok, just forget about him._  She calmed herself down, and prepared herself to be sorted.


	2. The Sorting Hat

Lizzie tried to pay attention to Professor McGonagall, but her nerves were getting to her. She barely heard her name being called. She walked up there and put the hat on.

For a second she felt utterly foolish because nothing was happening, but then a tiny voice that she assumed only she could hear, started talking, "Forgive me dear, but I am so used to the inexperienced first year that I had to get accustomed to your skill level"

_Ok…Umm, so do you know which house I'll be in?_

"Well, for you, it is very complicated. I see you want to be with your friend, and I'm sorry, but I can't make any promises."

Lizzie gulped,  _but I can't imagine being separated from him._

She heard a tiny laugh, "You two will be fine, and you will help with unifying the different houses. I don't know, you would do very well in Ravenclaw, you have a bright mind. But your strength and bravery outshines that, so you better be in GRYFFINDOR!" Lizzie heard the last word ring throughout the entire room.

She smiled to herself when she realized that she was in the same house as Harry, Ron and Hermione. She placed the hat back on the stool, and sat next to Ron. She watched as Jake made his way to the stool. She had a feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around the room and found a familiar, yet distant pair of grey eyes staring at her. When he realized that she was looking at him, he turned his attention back to the sorting. He almost looked…disappointing.  _Well, that's just ridiculous. It's not like he wanted me in his house…right? Of course he didn't what are you thinking? I can't forget that look he gave me._

Lizzie was brought out of her thoughts by hearing someone yell, "RAVENCLAW!" She saw that her best friend was headed over to a different table. After he sat down, the sorting continued with the first years. He looked over to Lizzie and gave her a reassuring look. Lizzie nodded;  _he wasn't even supposed to be here remember! He is only five minutes away._  That thought comforted her, she was always overreacting. Lizzie sat through the rest of the sorting, it was incredibly boring. It felt like hours before it ended. She was starving, because she didn't eat anything on the train. Then, she saw the headmaster stand up. Lizzie inwardly groaned to herself, she just wanted to eat.

"Welcome students, old and new. Many things are going to be happening at Hogwarts this year, but this is no time for that. Tuck in." Then food magically appeared on the surrounding plates.

"That's it?" Lizzie asked.

Harry laughed at her reaction, "Yeah, he always lets us eat before his speech."

"Oh, bless him." She said as she filled her plate up. "This food is delicious!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"Yeah, we have a few hundred house elves, they're the best!" Ron chimed in. Hermione just gave a glare to Ron. He leaned over to you and whispered, "She's all about elf rights." Then he raised his voice, "even though it's ridiculous!"

"Oh come off it, how would you feel if you had to serve someone with no pay!" Hermione shot back.

"They  _like_  it Hermione, why can't you understand that."

Hermione was about to say something back but Harry cut her off, "Look, can you guys cut it out? Can't you stop fighting for two seconds?" They didn't answer Harry, but they both gave up the fight. Lizzie looked over to Harry to see his reaction, and he just rolled his eyes. Lizzie gave a slight smile.

The extra food disappeared, and once again Dumbledore approached the podium. "Once again, welcome students! For all new students, let it be known that the forest is forbidden for all students…" Lizzie stopped paying attention, and looked at Jake who was trying to get her attention.

When she saw this, she gave him a questioning glance. He subtly pointed to the Slytherin table. She nonchalantly changed her glance. She expected to see those cold grey eyes looking at her, but instead she saw dark brown ones. The man that was looking at her gave her a creepy smile. Lizzie would have found this very creepy, but she was very distracted by his teeth.  _Those are the ugliest teeth I have ever seen._

"And the last bit of news I have," Lizzie turned to listen to Dumbledore again, "is probably the best news." A few students murmured with interest, "Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament!" Lizzie instantly was excited; she took a glance at Jake who was equally excited, but she noticed that other students were confused. "This tournament is held between three wizarding schools. Each school has a champion, and they battle in three tasks. The winner will receive fame and glory, and will be recognized for years to come…"

Now the students weren't whispering they were getting excited too. Dumbledore waited for silence before he began talking, "I will wait to give you more details till all the other schools are here. The two schools are Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and they will be coming at the end of the week." Dumbledore went to sit down, but the students still were talking about the news.

Lizzie followed Harry, Ron and Hermione to the Gryffindor Common Room. It was very confusing since this was her first time at Hogwarts. As if Harry sensed her uneasiness he said, "Don't worry, after two weeks you'll be able to walk around in your sleep."

Fortunately, she was in the same dormitory as Hermione. She went to unpack, but found her clothes were already in their respectful places. She introduced herself to the other girls.  _They're friendly enough_  Lizzie thought. She watched as they all started to go to sleep. She was tired, but she decided to write a little before she went to sleep.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> I told you the next time I would write in here I would be in Hogwarts! It is so beautiful, definitely better than my old school. I'm really excited because we are hosting the Triwizard Tournament, I remember my dad telling me about it. Yeah, but this kid was smiling at me in a creepy way…maybe I'm just thinking about it to much. He was at the same table as Malfoy. I don't know how to describe this boy. Everything that I hear about him says that he is the biggest jerk and what not, but I don't get that same feeling. When I first met him, he seemed somewhat arrogant but not a jerk. Then again, I haven't really talked to him, but it doesn't seem like he really wants to talk to me. I don't know, we will see. I bet I won't even see too much of him anyway. Well classes start tomorrow, so I'll write soon!
> 
> Lizzie

Lizzie woke up before everyone else. She took her time getting ready; hoping someone else would wake up. Unfortunately, no one did. She saw that she still had two hours until breakfast started.  _Well, I guess I can look around. I'll go outside? At least I'll know when I have reached my destination. I'll probably get lost if I go anywhere else._  Now that Lizzie actually had something to do, she picked up her pace. As soon as she was outside, she smiled. She wasn't a hardcore outdoors girl, but she loved the fresh air. The sun was about to rise.  _What perfect timing…_ She looked around for a good place to watch, and saw a big tree near the lake, and she went to sit under it.

Lizzie breathed a sigh of relief; it was just like at her old school.  _It's so beautiful._  Lizzie always loved the sun, and watching it now was almost a reassuring gesture to her. "Don't get too excited." She suddenly heard. Lizzie quickly turned around to catch whoever it was, but nobody was there.

She started to get a little paranoid.  _Maybe I just imagined it…_ She turned her attention back to the sun, trying to push away that voice. Then she swore she heard a sigh. Once again she checked to see if anyone was there. "Really? Alright, watch out, I'm coming down."  _Down? But wait, that means he's in the tr-._  Before she could even finish her thought, someone landed beside her. She faced the boy and her curiosity quickly turned into shock. She took in his long face, slick blond hair, and his grey eyes. This was none other than Draco Malfoy.  _Oh crap._  Lizzie didn't know what to do. As soon as realized who it was, she adverted her eyes.

She didn't see a smile, but she could have sworn she heard a chuckle.  _I don't know how he finds this amusing. In fact, after all I've heard, I'm surprised that he hasn't tried to curse me yet._ Lizzie was starting to feel quite uncomfortable with all the silence. She had absolutely no idea what to so.

After what seemed like ages, Malfoy decided to break the silence, "Hi," he said extending a hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy." Lizzie couldn't help but hear the laughter in his voice.

"I know." She said while pretending not to notice his hand.

He smirked at her and withdrew his hand, "That's not very nice."

"Well, I hear you're not very nice." Lizzie shot back.

"Oh so you've been asking about me already? Trying to find out if I was single or not…right?"

Lizzie inwardly groaned, "That's not what happened."

"Oh, I'm sure." He said sarcastically, "Let me save you the trouble from asking idiots like Pothead and Weasel. I'm single, and I have a thing for brunettes, lucky for you," He said, gesturing to Lizzie's hair. "And, not to sound conceited, but I'm probably the hottest guy you will ever meet." He took a breath like he was going to continue.

Lizzie stopped him before he could go on, "Ok, well that sounds horribly conceited, and apparently this will be a shock to you, but I don't find you attractive at all." He just gave her another one of his evil smirks. This angered Lizzie, "I'm serious! It seems like you are an arrogant, self-centered boy. You were a jerk to me at the train station, and from what I've heard, you are a jerk to everyone else you have met!"

"I haven't been a jerk to you." He stated. Lizzie was caught off-guard by that statement.

"That's not true. What about the train station?"

"Just because I didn't say anything doesn't mean I was a jerk. Just admit, I've been nice."

"But, I'm sure there is an evil reason for it!" Lizzie continued to look into those grey eyes which showed no anger or resentment, just amusement. "And, why the hell were you in a tree?" She finished.

To her surprise Malfoy turned away at this.  _Out of all the things I have said, this is the one he gets a little touchy about?_  Lizzie was a bit confused. He quickly turned back around to face her, "I just wanted to see the sunrise."

Lizzie didn't reply at first. "You…you like to watch sunrises?" She asked as the confusion was coming out in her voice. He gave her a slight smile, not a smirk, but a smile and nodded. She observed him for a little, "I don't believe you,"

To her surprise he started to laugh, "Well, I don't trust you."

"What?"

"I don't trust you enough to tell you." He said staring deep into her eyes.

Lizzie was about to ask something else, but somehow in those last few seconds, she completely forgot what she wanted to ask. She was lost in those grey eyes. From a distance she could hear someone calling her name. Malfoy was the one who broke the eye contact. He looked at whoever was yelling, and the smirk reappeared on his face. "You better tell him you're here before they send the whole castle searching." Lizzie followed his gaze and saw that it was Jake. She was going to say something back to Malfoy, but he was already heading toward the castle.

Jake kept walking toward her, gazing at Malfoy as he passed. When he finally reached her he asked, "What was that all about?"

Lizzie shook her head, "I have no idea."


	3. The Cold Greeting

_Thank Merlin for Hermione. I would be a hopeless cause without her._  It has been one week since Lizzie moved in, and she already was trying to figure out her Ancient Runes. Hermione already had her homework done for that class, but she decided to stay and help Lizzie. Lizzie needed the help, and Hermione was nice to review everything with her. However, Hermione was getting very adamant about a set of runes that actually had Lizzie quite scared.  Luckily Ron came by and distracted her, and Lizzie wanted to pretend that she was still working. She decided to take out her diary.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> Well, I wish I could tell you that something amazing happened since I wrote last, but sadly enough there is nothing for me to say. I haven't seen Draco I mean Malfoy since that day. And seriously, I don't want to see him…I swear I don't. What he did was just weird…whatever, I don't care.
> 
> What I care about right now is how ridiculously hard this school is. I thought taking Ancient Runes here would be easy, I already took that class at my old school. I thought I would pass with flying colors, but noooo! It's the first week, and I don't even know what we are talking about! So yeah, school is going to be very stressful.
> 
> Hermione and I have become great friends. We get along great, but we are also in the same situation. We both have best friends that are guys and we both realized that we need a girl to talk about certain things. So naturally we drifted toward each other…and she is a good friend.
> 
> Oh, and Jake already has a girlfriend. I don't know how he does that. I wish I could have his confidence, and just ask somebody out like that…I'm sure I'd get rejected right away though…but I don't want to be thinking about having a boyfriend. I wish I did have one though…oh damn! I swear I won't write about it again.
> 
> New subject….umm…oh, I know. I really miss dancing. That was my one way to get out of reality, and sometimes I needed that. And for as stressed as I am now, I know I am going to want to dance really bad…to bad that there is nothing here. Maybe I'll find a place somewhere. Oh Hermione's coming back over, back to Ancient Runes...
> 
> Lizzie

"Have you been doing your essay this whole time?" Lizzie nodded. Hermione sighed and held out her hand, "Let me take a look."

Lizzie squealed with delight, "Thanks so much!" She ran over to Hermione to give her a hug.

"This isn't bad" Hermione stated when she finished reading it, "but you made a few mistakes," and she continued to correct them.

"Hermione, you are my life savoir!" She just gave a small smile. Lizzie was incredibly grateful that she had a friend like her. Hermione finished correcting Lizzie's essay after a few minutes. "Ok, I have to ask you something."

"Okay" She drawled out.

Lizzie checked to make sure no one could overhear their conversation, "You like Ron, don't you?"

"No!" Hermione answered, a little too quickly, and she started blushing.

"I knew it." Lizzie said, satisfied, and if to make her more sure of her claim, Hermione blushed deeper.

"Just….please don't tell anyone." She whispered with pleading eyes.

Lizzie laughed, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Hermione looked relieved. "So are you going to tell him?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

"How about we make a deal. I'll tell Ron how I feel when you tell your crush that you like him."

"That's not fair!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"How so?"

"I don't like anybody right now."

Now it was Hermione's turn to laugh, "Oh come on Lizzie, there has to be someone that has been catching your eye…this place is full of fresh meat for you." Lizzie burst into fits of laughter after she heard that.

"Meat?"

Hermione blushed, "maybe I shouldn't have used that phrase, but I'll find out soon!" Lizzie observed her friend carefully.  _Can I really tell her that the boy that has been filling my thoughts is Draco Malfoy? No, I couldn't. Hermione hates him; she wouldn't like that at all. But like I said, I don't really like him. He's just the only guy that I've noticed like that...that's not solid reasoning at all._

Lizzie and Hermione headed down toward dinner. Before the food appeared, Professor Dumbledore had an exciting announcement. The two other schools would be arriving tomorrow. That was pretty much the topic for all of dinner.

Lizzie, Hermione and Ron left the Great Hall earlier then everyone else. "I'm definitely excited for all of these new boys coming…you know those pieces of steak." Lizzie whispered the latter part to Hermione.

She just playfully hit Lizzie, "Oh shut up."

"Oh yeah, Adams. Because those boys would be lining up for your ugly arse." Lizzie froze; she knew that voice. She turned around to come face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. He stood there with his infamous smirk plastered on his face. Lizzie didn't know how to respond…this was unlike every other conversation they had.

Luckily, Ron was there to defend her, "Oh, shove off Malfoy! You just wish you could get a girl like her." He just shrugged and pushed past Ron. He continued past Lizzie, but stopped to whisper something to her.

"You want me to treat you like I do everyone else? There you go." And he continued down the hallway.

"What a git." Ron muttered, "Don't listen to him Lizzie. Come on let's get to the common room." Lizzie followed Ron and Hermione, but she didn't add to the conversation. _I guess I did ask for that._ The difference in the Malfoy was incredible. She quickly reversed and started to head back to the Great Hall. "Oi! Where you going?" Ron yelled.

"I need to find Jake." He was the only one who she wanted to talk about this…which is saying something because she didn't even know what she felt toward Mafoy.  _Well, right now, I am definitely pissed at him. Hopefully Jake will help…_

> Dear Diary,
> 
> So Jake was a waste of time, he didn't tell me anything I didn't know…well, he thinks I have some deep attraction to Malfoy…of course I wasn't admitting that to myself. Who is he to say that I like him…I don't even  _know_  him. It's kind of ridiculous…and I know I know, he's usually right in the end…I just hope he's wrong about this.
> 
> And I've seen Malfoy so much in the past 24 hours and he is still being a dick to me…well kind of. He's rude and inconsiderate, but he never actually insults me. He insults the others like crazy! And I can't ever say anything to him about it. I don't know how he can say those things and not feel guilty, like how am I supposed to find him attractive? I completely understand why Harry, Ron and Hermione hates him.
> 
> I think I'm just gonna ignore him…I mean he hasn't made any moves to...go back to the way it was? I guess that wasn't too great to begin with. So ignoring him will probably be the best situation anyway. Whatever, I have to go.
> 
> Lizzie

The other schools were finally arriving for the Triwizard tournament. Lizzie followed Jake outside, and they quickly found Hermione. The first school to arrive was Beauxbatons. The girls from that school were absolutely beautiful. Lizzie could feel Jake's jaw drop. "You have a girlfriend, remember?" she said to him.

"Not anymore." Jake replied.

"What?" Lizzie asked shocked.

"Eh, I ended it yesterday…wasn't working out."

Lizzie stared at him with disbelief, "You are such a manwhore."

"And you still love me anyways." He said with a smile.

Lizzie chuckled, "Yeah, I guess."

"When I have the right girl, I'll know." Then he turned his attention back to the new girls.  _I wish I could have that patience._

The other school arrived after that, and their school was called Durmstrang. A bunch of guys walked out of their ship, and Lizzie immediately recognized one of them.

"That's Victor Krum!"

"Where?" Jake asked excited. Lizzie pointed to the one in a furry hat, "It is him!" Jake grabbed Lizzie's arm and pulled her to the front of the crowd. Lizzie quickly grabbed Hermione on her way there.

"Oh come on Lizzie, this is crazy! Who cares about some quidditch star?"

"Hermione!" Lizzie and Jake shouted in alarm. Hermione just rolled her eyes in response. Krum was approaching where they were standing and Lizzie started to shake with excitement. As he was passing he turned to Hermione and gave her a little smile.

As soon as he was out of earshot Lizzie squealed. "Oh my gosh! Hermione did you see that?"

"See what?"

"That smile he gave you? Who knows? He might help you stop thinking about a certain red-haired b—"

"Lizzie!"

She chuckled at Hermione's reaction, "I won't say anymore!" She paused, "But, you know it's true."

Everyone started to walk back in the castle, "I don't want to talk about this…" Hermione said. Lizzie looked over at her and couldn't help but smile, she knew Hermione was about to break. "He really looked at me?"

"Yup!"

"Oh yeah, cuz somebody would really find Granger attractive," said a sarcastic voice. Lizzie and Hermione turned around to see Malfoy standing there. "I guess they would if they like insufferable know-it-alls."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Lizzie yelled. She quickly pulled Hermione away from him. Lizzie sent daggers his way as she pulled her to the Gryffindor table, they still had to have the feast, "Don't listen to him, you're pretty and ten times the person he is." It looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey guys! Did you see Victor Krum?" Ron said excitedly. Lizzie nodded and then looked back to Hermione. Lizzie was surprised how quickly she hid her emotions. She looked fine.

"I'll be fine." She said towards Lizzie in a final tone. She left it alone. Professor Dumbledore started to say his speech welcoming the other schools. During the speech, Lizzie could feel a pair of eyes on her. Sure enough when she looked over at the Slytherin table Malfoy was staring at her…she couldn't make out what he was feeling,  _but I don't care._  She gave him a death glare and proceeded to turn away from him and focus her attention back to Dumbledore.

He was explaining the rules of the tournament, Lizzie drifted off. She ended up staring at Jake in disbelief. The girls from Beauxbatons chose to sit at the Ravenclaw table, and of course Jake was already making his move. Lizzie chuckled;  _we are so different when it comes to relationships._  Lizzie always wants a sturdy one, one that might last,  _which is probably why I'm alone._  Jake was the exact opposite, he would get with any girl that he could; go as far as she would let him and then dump her if she 'wasn't the one'.  _That makes it sound so harsh…I mean, these girls know what he's like, and they believe they can change him. Or that he will change for her…the only way that he'll do that is if they don't give in to his desires for a long time. He's a good guy...he just gets distracted by women._

The food suddenly appeared, bringing Lizzie back to the present. She carefully filled her plate; she always was a sloppy eater. She finished early, earlier than normal because she barely touched her food.  _I just need to get out of here._ She didn't know why, but this Malfoy situation was getting to her. She politely excused herself and started to head to the Gryffindor common room, but she eventually changed her mind. She went back to the tree where she first talked to him.

"Ok, just listen…" She heard from behind her. She knew who it was.

"What?" She spat out. She turned to face him.

He stared at her with pleading eyes for awhile, and then couldn't contain himself, "What do you expect from me? I'm not a saint, I'm not perfect."

Lizzie was furious, "I don't care if you're  _perfect_! I just can't do it!'

"Do what?"

"Listen to you!" He stared at her, dumbfounded, "Oh don't give me that look. They are my  _friends._  My friends! I can't just let you treat them like this. Every time you say something I feel  _horrible_ that I'm not defending them! And I can't believe you  _do_  treat them like this."

"Why should I care what I say to them…they are nobody special to me."

"But they are to me…" Lizzie finished softly, "And I can't do," she paused, thinking of how to describe it, "whatever this thing we are doing, when you are treating them like dirt, I can't just let it go!" Lizzie sighed, "And I don't know how they handled you for three years…honestly I'm pretty sure I would kill you."

Malfoy rolled his eyes at that comment, "You wouldn't even think that! You have too good of a heart."

Lizzie was in disbelief, "Really? You pick now to throw out a compliment?"

"You think that was a compliment?" Now it was Malfoy's turn to look confused.

"Coming from you? Oh yeah that was a compliment." Lizzie answered with complete seriousness.

"I can give you better," and suddenly he pulled her close to him, "I can tell you how beautiful your eyes are in the moonlight," He went to brush the hair from her eyes, Lizzie unwillingly started to waver, "That your hair blowing in the wind is intoxicating. Or that I don't think I've ever found a girl more attractive than you."

"But yet, you still believe that boys wouldn't line up for my ugly arse." He slowly backed away from her. "I haven't forgotten what you said to me."

"Lizzie…I didn't mean it. I swear I think you are the most beaut—"

"Yeah," Lizzie replied sarcastically, "And why am I supposed to believe you this time."

"Because it's true!" he said desperately.

Lizzie shook her head with defeat, "You know what? I can't handle this…please will you just leave me alone."

"Is that what you really want?" He asked.

Lizzie turned away from him, his face looked wounded. Lizzie hesitated, but eventually gave her answer, "Yes. And if you have to treat me like you do everyone else, I'm ready for it."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Don't lie to me." Lizzie retorted.

"I'm not ly—" He said exasperated.

But once again, Lizzie cut him off, "Just go." And to her surprise, he actually listened to her.

A while after he was inside, Lizzie broke down. She slowly fell to her knees while she sobbed uncontrollably.  _I really am attracted to him…uh why did Jake have to be right?_  As if he knew she was thinking of him, Jake appeared right by her side. He didn't ask her what happened, but sat down next to her and pulled her into him and held her why she sobbed.

When she calmed down a bit she finally whispered, "You were right…about him. Why do you always have to be right?" He gave a stiff nod and pulled her closer. She actually managed to laugh at that, "You know," she said shakily and jokingly, "I've been wondering why we're still friends." He cracked a smile at that.

He responded in all seriousness, "You know you are my number one girl. I'll always be here for you, even if you don't want me." He added jokingly

"I know," she replied. Jake was her best friend through and through, and right now, she was entirely grateful that he was here.


	4. Happy Birthday!

The next month went in a rush. Lizzie found herself swamped with school work, the tournament in which Harry was mysteriously entered, and trying to keep in touch with her family and friends from the states. Jake somehow managed to date two more girls, and thankfully Malfoy was trying to keep his distance. When they had to be together, Lizzie could feel his eyes surveying her, but she refused to make eye contact. Lizzie was feeling so stressed, and she needed something to get her mind off things…but the only thing that could help is dancing, and she was pretty sure there wasn't a dance studio hidden in Hogwarts.

Lizzie hurried out of her Ancient Runes class that was definitely her least favorite class.  _I need a nap._  She wanted to skip her next class but realized how awful that would be, and she knew better than to cross Snape. So she slowly made her way to the dungeons. She quickly slipped past Malfoy who was waiting at the door. She put her books down and flopped down in her seat.

"Guess whose birthday is tomorrow?" Someone sang in her ear. 

Lizzie groaned, "I was hoping you didn't find out about that."

Harry laughed as he took the seat next to you, "So you have any special plans?"

Lizzie smiled, "Nope, just the normal…classes, dinner, homework, then maybe if I have time, hanging out with the friends."

"Oh you'll have time. I'll make sure of it!"

"Settle down class" Snape said. Lizzie rolled her eyes;  _this is going to be a long class._

That hour and a half felt like a day to Lizzie. Finally, it ended. She started to pick up her things, but Snape stopped her, "Miss Adams, you need to stay after class."

Lizzie groaned, "Perfect"

Snape waited for everyone to leave before he started talking, "Alright Miss Adams, I'm worried about you."

"What?"  _Does Snape actually care about me? What is with this world I am in…the supposed bad guys are now good._

"Don't interrupt me. You grades have been slipping, they are average right now, and I know you have the potential to be better than Granger."

"Thank you?" She didn't mean to sound rude, but she was honestly confused as to where this was coming from. 

"Your attitude has also taken a turn for the worse." He said in a sinister voice.

Lizzie was feeling horrible, "I'm just really stressed. I'm sorry for my attitude, it was unconsciously done. Everything has just been piling on top of each other... I have to go. Thanks for your concern." She quickly finished, and she hurried out the door. As soon as she left the room she ran into Malfoy.

"What." Lizzie was feeling horrible right now, and she didn't want to talk to anybody.

"Go to our tree after dinner." He said and then walked away. _Hmm, it's our tree? I don't know if I'll have time for that._  Lizzie should have headed to the library to finish her homework for the night, but instead she headed to her room to take a nap.

"Lizzie, wake up." Hermione gently said, "It's time for dinner." Lizzie tried to shrug her off, she just wanted to sleep. "Come on Lizzie." Lizzie grudgingly accepted. "Is everything ok?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah…I just need a break from all this."

"Does this have to do with Malfoy?" Lizzie stopped in her tracks.

"W- What?" she stuttered.

"Ok, Lizzie, I'm not blind. There is something between you two…whatever it is." Lizzie continued to walk.

"I guess I should have realized the smartest witch in our class would realize something was amiss" She wryly said.

Hermione responded with a small smile, "Just know that if you ever want to talk about it, I'll be here."  _I guess it wouldn't hurt to see what Draco wants._

They made it down to dinner, and Lizzie was in better spirits. When she finally sat down, everyone started to ask her about her birthday and what she wanted. "You guys don't have to give me gifts!"

"But we want to!" Harry said.

"No, I forbid it." Lizzie said while laughing; she was starting to feel better, "Hanging out with you guys will be a present in itself." They all finished dinner and started to head up to the common room. Lizzie debated whether to go to the tree or not and eventually decided she should. She excused herself from the group and made her way outside.

Lizzie slowly made her way over to the tree, and she saw that he wasn't there.  _Of course he's not here…what was I thinking?_ She was about to leave when something shiny and blue caught her eye. Whatever it was, it was almost hidden at the base of the tree. She went to see what it was and saw that it was a present. She saw that there was a card on top addressed to her.

_Lizzie,_

_I don't know if you want to hear from me or not, but Jake told me your birthday was coming up, and I had to get something for you. I don't know what's going on with you, but you seem sad. If you ever need to get away from everyone then you should go to the fifth floor. Walk along the corridor three times thinking of what you want most, and you should know what to do after that…I hope you find whatever you need to make you happy again._

_Happy Birthday_

It didn't say who it was from, but Lizzie was positive she knew who it was from, and that brought a smile to her lips. She reached for the gift and was about to open it, but decided to wait for tomorrow…the letter was enough to make her smile for today. She took the gift and started to walk back to the castle.

"You're not going to open it?" She heard that and turned around but didn't see anyone. Then a realization came to her…he was in the tree. She walked under and looked up, and sure enough he was there.

"I figured I'd wait till tomorrow."

He hopped down and continued to walk to the castle with her. "That makes sense." They continued to walk in silence, until they had to go their separate ways. "Have a good birthday." He ended.

He walked away after that, but before he was out of site she called out, "Thanks." He turned around and gave her one of his rare smiles… _it's funny how fast he can make me happy._

The next morning, Lizzie was sleeping while everyone else was getting ready for her birthday. They were getting impatient because she wasn't waking up. So Ron took it upon himself to get her up. He took Hermione's pillow and hit Lizzie on the head.

"Wha?" She mumbled. She turned on her back to see some of her friends in her dormitory.

"Happy Birthday!" They all yelled. Harry and Ron each grabbed an arm and pulled her out of her bed.

"You have to come down stairs and see what we did."

"Umm," Lizzie hesitated, "Can I brush my teeth first?"

Harry laughed, "Sure but make it quick!"

After she was somewhat decent, she followed Hermione down to the common room. She couldn't help but be nervous, she didn't like when people made a big deal about her birthday. When she entered, she was speechless. The room was decorated in red and gold ribbons, and a bunch of 'Happy Birthday' paraphernalia. It was beautiful. After she took in the decorations she noticed the huge cake sitting on the coffee table and next to that was a bunch of presents.

"I told you not to buy me gifts!"

"Well since when do we listen to you?" Harry joked, "You are going to have the best birthday ever!"

"Too bad it includes Potions and Ancient Runes." Ron muttered. That really didn't matter though because Lizzie felt wonderful, and she appreciated what everyone did for her. "This is probably the best birthday I've ever had, and it's only ten in the morning. Thanks you guys!" She made her way around to give everyone a hug.

"So who wants cake for breakfast? Any takers?" Fred started to hand out cake to everyone.

Hermione gave Lizzie her piece of cake, and she quickly ate it. Lizzie noticed that she didn't have enough time to open her presents. She asked for Hermione's help, and they took her presents to their dormitory.

"Feeling better?" Hermione asked. Lizzie nodded in response. "So I have to ask…who gave you that present?" Lizzie looked to see what present she was talking about. She recognized it instantly. It was the one Draco gave her the night before.

Lizzie chuckled nervously, "Yep, I know who that's from."

"Ok, Lizzie listen…I don't know why you like him, but just be careful. He has a long history of, well being a bully, and I don't want you to be hurt by him." Lizzie was slightly offended at this comment, but she knew that Hermione was just looking out for her best interests.

"I know." Hermione sighed, and Lizzie could tell that she wanted to say more. Fortunately, she decided against saying anything else. "Ok, well I'll see you in Ancient Runes." It was always odd how early Hermione left for classes. Lizzie glanced at the clock and saw that she still had a half an hour to spare.

She glanced over at the blue package and wondered if she should open it.  _I'm going to have to open it sometime…so it might as well be now._  She slowly took the paper off. Her heart was beating faster with every moment. She wanted to know what it was, but she was still afraid of what Hermione said. It was true that they knew him a lot better than she did… _but people change, right?_

She put aside her doubts and finished opening the present. She was instantly stunned. Inside the box was the most beautiful gold locket she had ever seen. She opened the locket and saw that there was only one picture in it, and that was of her. The other side was left blank. "It's so beautiful," she murmured to herself. She quickly put on the locket on and ran down to the common room.  _Hermione doesn't really know him…seriously she never really talked to him one-on-one._ "Bye everyone!" Lizzie said as she was leaving the common room, "I'll see you at lunch!"

She headed for her Ancient Runes class; she had to show Hermione what Draco gave her. As she was walking there, she happened to pass him. He was with his ignorant friends of course. She didn't know whether to acknowledge him or not, so she decided to advert her eyes. At the last second she couldn't help but look over at him. Lizzie saw that he was looking at the locket around her neck and a small smile was pulling on his lips. She couldn't help but smile back.

Lizzie continued to walk to her class in a daze. She entered the classroom, not entirely paying attention. When she finally realized what she was seeing, she was in shock. Lizzie couldn't believe her eyes. She slowly backed out of the classroom, she didn't want to ruin this moment. But of course, she accidentally knocked into a chair, and it proceeded to fall over and make a huge crash. Lizzie turned to the two people in the corner, embarrassment clearly written all over her face.

Victor Krum quickly stood up and muttered a goodbye and within seconds he was gone. Lizzie turned to the only person left in the room and started to laugh. "Hermione, what the hell is going on?"


	5. The Room of Requirement

Hermione looked mortified at the situation she was in. "Lizzie. You have to  _promise_  not to tell anyone."

"Well, I can't promise you anything." Lizzie joked. Hermione glared at her, "Joking! I swear, I was just kidding." Lizzie observed Hermione, she was glowing. "So, what's going on?"

"Well, he asked me to the Yule Ball!" Hermione shrieked. She has obviously wanted to tell someone for a while.

"Hermione! That's amazing!" That triggered the whole story which Lizzie was happy to hear.  _Awe, that's so cute! It's about time she got some kind of recognition._

"Lizzie, please don't tell anyone." Hermione said quietly as other students were coming in.

"Why? Shoot, I would want to brag if I was going with him."

"Well, that's why I don't want anyone to know…I don't want to create drama."

Lizzie had no other choice but to agree, "Ok, no one."

"And that includes Harry and Ron. Oh, and Jake."

"Ugh! You're killing me! But, I won't say  _anything_."  _This is going to be hard…_  "Wait, what happened to Ron?" Hermione didn't say anything, but suddenly there were sharp lines with hatred all over her face.  _Well, something must have happened_.

The fact that today was Lizzie's birthday meant no difference to the teachers. In fact, Lizzie thought she was getting more homework than before. She just needed time to breathe.  _I should go to that place Draco told me about, but I don't know if I have the time now._  When she wasn't in classes, people were wishing her a happy birthday. She liked that people remembered, but she didn't want to be pursued by people she didn't even know.

She made it through the day…luckily her birthday landed on a Friday so she didn't necessarily need to do her homework. However, it was getting late, and she was going to try and get some homework done. But, before she could start, Harry stopped her.

"No. You are not allowed to do homework today."

Lizzie laughed appreciatively, "Then what else am I going to do?"

Harry had a look of mischief in his eyes, "Follow me."

Lizzie was kind of nervous. She wasn't used to Harry acting like this, but at the same time she was excited. Harry led her outside. She quickly registered what was going on. "Harry! Thank you so much!"

"This was the closest thing to a party that we could get." Lizzie surveyed the scene. The trees were beautifully decorated and there was tons of food! And in the middle of the grass there was a huge bonfire.

She quickly grabbed Harry into a hug. "Thank you so much." She quickly joined her 'birthday party', and she had such a great time.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> Well, tonight was incredible! I had soo much fun, and it's nice to know that people actually like me here…seriously I am truly touched at what they had to go through. The bonfire was the best because most people never had one before…I mean come on, bonfires are the best! But, haha, Ron was the funniest when he tried to make a smore…he was treating it like it was rocket science…it was just funny to see him try to make it.
> 
> The only sad thing was that Draco wasn't there…I guess I knew that he wouldn't be at something Harry planned, but hey, there is always hopeful thinking. I just can't get what Hermione said out of my head…Besides, I'm not supposed to like him! He thinks that just because he bought me a present that I'll forget about how much of a jerk he is…it won't work…maybe.
> 
> Ugh, I don't want to think about that…new subject…The first task is in a week. I hope Harry is ready for it. The Yule Ball is also coming up…I wonder if Draco will ask me! Oh no, why am I thinking about that? Besides, I must not get my hopes up…ugh too late!
> 
> Lizzie

The next day went by incredibly fast, and by the end of the night Lizzie couldn't even think of anything but sleep. She awoke with a start on Sunday morning. She had a goal for today…she needed to get her homework done. She took all of her things to the library and literally didn't leave except for lunch and dinner.

Around nine o'clock she finally finished all of her work.  _I can't believe I have been in here for eleven hours…I don't think I have ever worked this much._  Lizzie started to head back to her dormitory, but she suddenly changed her mind. She redirected her path so she was heading to the fifth floor. She felt incredibly stupid walking the corridor three times.  _What did he say? Think of what you want most? Hmm…him? Haha, but seriously, umm, a dance studio._  As soon as she finished that thought a door appeared out of no where.  _I guess this is what I have to do next._

Lizzie was about to open the door when a voice came suddenly. "I was wondering when you would come here." Out of the shadows came a very tired looking Draco Malfoy. Lizzie couldn't help but notice how hot he was even when he was dead tired.

"Hey…Were you waiting for me?" Lizzie felt like she was getting her hopes up, but she wanted to know.

He nodded, "I was here the previous two nights too…I thought you would definitely come." Lizzie felt instantly guilty, "but, you didn't." He said hurtfully.

Lizzie instantly put her guard up, "Didn't we already discuss how I am not talking to you?"

"You know I'm just kidding…I'd wait all night if it meant I got to see you…which actually I did two nights…they say that the third time's the charm." Lizzie was starting to feel guilty…besides, she really did want to see him. Then he walked to the door, "well, let's see what you want most."  _I guess my first part came true. He definitely is here…oh no! What if he thinks my room is completely dorky!_  Before she could stop him from going in, he was already in the middle of the room. "What is this?" He asked.

"You have never been in a dance studio?"

"Definitely not." He stood there looking at the room, Lizzie couldn't help but notice that he lingered at the huge mirrors.  _Well, I can't blame him…if I was that good-looking I would want to look at myself too. Where did that come from?_ "So wait, does that mean you dance?" Lizzie nodded, "Why did you want this to appear?"

"I, uh, I always loved to dance. It just is a perfect way for me to get away from everything. It is a great way to clear my head."

Draco nodded in understanding, "So are you gonna dance?"

 _Definitely not in front of you…I can just picture him making fun of me…_ "Well, I'm not exactly dressed correctly." He suddenly gestured to something right beside her. Lizzie looked down to find a pair of sweat pants and a dance shirt. "I swear those weren't there a second ago…"  _Great, now he's gonna think I'm an idiot._

"I know. This room just gives you whatever you need. It's known as the Room of Requirement."

"That makes sense." Lizzie mumbled. She found a little place to change.  _Wow, it does think of everything._  She emerged a few minutes later, hoping he wasn't there. When he saw her a little smile appeared on his lips.

"Well you look cute." Lizzie blushed at that comment, "What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know if I can dance in front of anybody." She said in a tiny voice.  _I still feel like an idiot_.

Again, he laughed at that comment, "Lizzie, I swear that you won't even notice I'm here."  _Wow…that is the first time he has said my name…_ She really wanted to dance. She decided she would rather dance and forget everything than still talk to Draco. She was losing her defense against him.  _He doesn't even do anything special. Why am I reacting to him like this?_ Lizzie shook those thoughts out of her head.

"Fine." She stated, "But, no talking." He didn't say anything and just nodded. Lizzie exhaled a sigh of relief. She walked over to the boom box and hit the play button. The perfect song came up. It was Feelin' Good which is great because she already had a routine to this song. She gracefully flowed through each movement, and she was clearly enjoying every minute of it. Draco watched with his mouth slightly open. She was breathtaking. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He never reacted to a girl like this before, and honestly, it was scaring him a bit. While watching her dance, he couldn't help but be envious. He wished he had something to get him away from reality…

The song finally came to an end. Lizzie caught her breath, it was a while since she last danced, and slowly looked at him. "That was beautiful." He paused, "You were beautiful." Once again, Lizzie found herself blushing. She wanted to say something to him but nothing was coming out. Draco clearly felt this awkward moment, "Well, I'll just leave. You will probably be here all night." _No. Don't go, please stay!_  But on the outside she nodded.

He reluctantly mirrored her nod and headed for the door. But before he could leave, Lizzie finally found some words to say, "Thanks. For the compliment, and for sharing this room with me."

He stared at her with those gorgeous grey eyes, "Well I'm glad."

Lizzie was confused, "Glad about what?"

"That you found what will make you happy again."  _How can I not like this man? How can_ everyone _not like him? He is amazing._  Lizzie wanted to apologize. That night happened long ago, but she was seriously regretting it now. While lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that he was getting closer to her. She was brought back to her senses when she realized that those eyes she loved to get lost in were just mere inches away.

"What do you want?" she asked shakily.

"Just this." He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. She quickly was lost in the moment. They continued to kiss more passionately, his hands intertwined with her hair, and her hands around his neck. She was in the best place that she could be, but suddenly he pulled away. "I'm sorry," he wouldn't meet her gaze, "I've got to go." He quickly ran out the door.

Lizzie stared at the place where he was just at. She could still feel his lips on hers, and she just wished it could have continued.  _What the heck is going to happen now?_


	6. Deception

Lizzie slowly made her way back to her dormitory. She was in a state of shock.  _I can't believe that really happened._  She felt numb, but at the same time, she was in clandestinely happy. She realized that it was four in the morning and continued to bed. However, when she laid down, she accepted that she was not tired at all. She couldn't stop thinking about what just happened…

Dear Diary,

Oh. My. Gosh! That was the best kiss I have ever had! You don't even know who I'm talking about. It's Draco! I…All I want to do is kiss him again. Hermione was completely wrong…I don't even know why I listened to her.

But…I wish he didn't just run out like he did. I mean, I think it's different for him, but why did he have to rush away like that. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to him and figure this out because I have never felt this way before…about anyone.

I have to tell someone…meaning Jake. He's the only one I feel comfortable telling. With everyone else, I'm afraid I'll get shunned. They definitely have him all wrong. He is a better guy than they give him credit for. Well, I got to go.

Lizzie

The next day, Lizzie searched for Jake in the morning, and, thankfully, found him alone outside. "Jake!" she yelled as she ran to him.

He quickly said hello in return. He seemed reserved about something which is odd for Jake.  _Oh well, he will tell me if he wants to._  She pushed past that and told him everything that happened. She was so excited that she didn't notice how Jake's face continued to get angrier. At the end of her rant, she looked to Jake for his approval. This was when she realized that something was extremely wrong.

"I don't know how to tell you this Lizzie…but, it seems that Malfoy has done some damage control…"

"What do you mean?" Lizzie was unsure of how to take that statement.

"I guess last night and this morning, he has been telling everybody that he and Pansy, whoever she is, are officially dating…" He trailed off at the end, "He said that she was the perfect girl for him."  _No. No, no, no. This can't be right._

"You're joking." Lizzie said flatly. She did not want to believe this.  _I feel so stupid…did I just fall for some trick of his?_ She adverted her eyes from his.

"I knew you were going to say that. Lizzie," He gently pushed her head back so he could make eye contact, "Just forget about him. My guess is that he is going to be a complete arse to you." Lizzie shook her head in disbelief.  _No! He is different than that! Why does nobody understand this?_  She was trying to be optimistic, but she couldn't help but see the hopelessness of her situation. "Lizzie, look at me. I just want you to be prepared." She couldn't even find the words to express herself at the moment.  _Figures, the one boy that I like turns out to be an idiot, but everyone warned me about that. Ugh! I should have been more careful…_ Lizzie couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself. Jake noticed this right away, "So…you need me to kick his ass?" Trying to make her feel better.

Lizzie couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze, "No…it's fine." He tried to say something more, but she stopped him. "I'll be fine. I promise. Thanks for telling me."

He gave her a sincere smile and pulled her into a hug.  _At least I'll always have Jake to put me back together._  She felt like breaking down… _why did I let my guard down? Why do I even feel this strongly towards him? He is a freaking jerk…he was kind to me one moment and then inconsiderate the next._ Lizzie, with Jake by her side, walked back into the castle.  _I didn't know that his effect on me was this big. That's definitely going to change._

Lizzie and Jake went in to the Great Hall for breakfast. Mostly everyone was there. Lizzie couldn't help but notice that Draco wasn't present. She quietly ate her breakfast. The rest of her friends definitely noticed, but Lizzie was thankful that they didn't say anything. She waited until they were done with breakfast, and then they all headed to their first class of the day: Defense against the Dark Arts. Lizzie was trailing behind the others. The turned the corner, and when they did Hermione let out a quick gasp and looked in Lizzie's direction.  _What?_  Lizzie looked at what made her gasp, and her jaw dropped.

In the middle of the corridor (yes the middle, they didn't even try to hide themselves) was Draco and Pansy…making out. It was disgusting; they were groping each other and sucking each other's face. Surprisingly, this brought a smile to Lizzie's lips.  _That is so shady. Fine, you want to play that way?_  Lizzie quickly drew out her wand, " _Petrificus Totalus!_ " Every one of her friends laughed at the site of Draco and Pansy jumping away from that. They were in such a state of panic that she couldn't help but join in.

Draco quickly stood up facing her and pulled out his wand. "What the hell was that for?" He asked.

"If I wanted to watch you and 'that thing' get it on…well, I'd probably kill myself before doing that so I'm not even going to finish that." She finished, and Draco gave her a murderous stare. "Maybe you should think twice before making out in the hallway." She said in a mockingly happy voice.  _I_ hate _him._

She pushed past him and walked into the classroom. Hermione quickly followed after her. "Lizzie, what happened?"  _How does this girl know everything about me? Was she really that observant when it came to me and Draco…or should I say Malfoy. Ugh…whatever, I'll get over him._

"I'll tell you later."

She felt his eyes on her when he walked into the classroom. It took everything she had, but she was not going to look at him. She composed her face to make it look like she was having the time of her life.  _I wonder if he feels bad for what he did…no! Don't think like that! Of course he doesn't care…you were just another girl to him…I'll get through it. Ha. At least I've got friends, that's more than he has…_

Lizzie walked out of that class feeling extremely irritated.  _This day needs to be over…now!_  Luckily she didn't have another class until after lunch. She hastily walked to her dormitory. Hermione was a step behind her. She wanted to get to the bottom of this mess. Lizzie didn't stop at the dormitory, she just continued to her room. Hermione followed, and she quietly shut the door. Nobody else was in their room which Lizzie was grateful for.

"Lizzie," Hermione started cautiously, "What is going on?" Lizzie turned to face Hermione. She tried to explain, but words were failing her.

"Honestly, I really don't know what was going on between us…but, you better believe, nothing is going on now." She finished harshly.

"Why?"  _Why can't you just leave it alone?_ As much as Lizzie was complaining, she was really thankful to have someone to talk about it.

"Basically, you were right. I, unfortunately, let my guard down. He was so nice to me…and I actually believed him. That he was a different person than everyone made him out to be." She added, seeing Hermione's confused expression. "It's just that, when I was with him," She paused, hating herself for admitting this, "I was really happy…it wasn't anything specific he did. It was just being with him."  _I really hate admitting this._  Lizzie thought with an inward groan. "But, then of course, seeing him pull shit like that just makes me seethe with anger." She was getting on a roll, "And what pisses me off the most, is how he can  _kiss_  me one day and spit on me the next! You can't do that to a girl, thinking you're not going to hurt her. What an arse!" Lizzie calmed herself down. She felt bad that she was putting Hermione through this.

"Wait! Did I miss something here?" Lizzie was confused at what she meant. "You kissed him?" She asked in shock. Lizzie nodded, blushing at the thought. She instantly berated herself for that. _Lizzie. You need to stop thinking like this!_  "Uh, he is an arse! That is insanely cruel."

"I'm sorry." Lizzie quietly said.

"What are you sorry about?"

"You tried to warn me…I should have listened to you. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you." Lizzie stated, she could feel the tears starting to come out. Hermione rushed over and pulled her into a comforting hug.

"Lizzie," That's all she could say…she didn't know what would make her feel better.

"So," Lizzie started pulling herself away from Hermione. She quickly wiped her eyes, "Speaking of boys. What's going on with Krum?"

Hermione gave a little sigh, "It's actually kind of annoying," Lizzie snorted at that, "No, really, he—" She stopped suddenly.

"What?"

"You don't want to hear this…you are the one who really needs to talk."

Lizzie smiled, "No, I need this distraction…and besides, the next few days I will probably be bitching about him, left and right. So, please, take this opportunity to talk as much as you like." Lizzie waited for her friend to start talking again, but nothing was coming, "So," she prodded, "why is he annoying?"

Hermione gazed at her friend, but when no objection came, she gave in, "Well, it's not him that's annoying…it's the bunch of idiotic girls that follow him. I can't get any studying done, I can't eat in peace, and even when I try to sleep I can hear them. It's ridiculous!" Lizzie laughed at her.  _At least she can definitely keep me preoccupied._  "Actually, I'm supposed to meet him for lunch. Do you want to come with me?"

Lizzie shook her head, "I don't want to be the third wheel."

"You won't be. I promise. Besides, it will be nice to have someone to talk to…Victor and I don't usually talk much."

Lizzie burst in a fit of giggles, "Oh! Now I really want to go!"

Hermione didn't understand what she was laughing about. Then she had a realization, "Lizzie that's not what I meant! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Lizzie kept laughing,  _definitely a good distraction._  "He just likes to watch me…but, please, will you come? It will help get your mind off him." She added at the end.  _That's true. I mean, it can't be that bad. It's just lunch._

"I guess…" Hermione squealed.

"Let's go!" She pulled Lizzie off the bed and down the stairs. Lizzie followed Hermione in silence. She was starting to regret her choice. She was surprised when Hermione wasn't walking into the Great Hall.

"Where are we going?"

"Victor wanted to eat somewhere a little more private."

"Oh gosh, now I really feel like I am going to be out of place."

Hermione smiled at her, "No, you will be fine!"

They saw Victor before he saw them. It was so cute; he had a picnic set up for her.  _This is not going to be good._  Hermione walked up to him, and she blushed as she accepted the rose from him. He looked over at Lizzie with a questioning glance.

"This is my friend Lizzie. I asked her to come with me. Is that ok?" Victor nodded, looking slightly crestfallen.

However, seconds later, his eyes brightened. "Vait here." He left, leaving Hermione and Lizzie to wonder what was going on. A few minutes later he came back with another boy.  _Oh no, this is not going to work._  Lizzie turned to Hermione giving her a glare. Hermione shrugged saying she didn't know anything about it.

Lizzie gave her attention to the boy that was approaching her. He was cute, she could give him that, but she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to a boy. "Hi," He said…in a British accent. That confused Lizzie. "I'm Ivan. May I join you?" Lizzie nodded.

"Yes! Let's all get comfortable." Hermione chimed in. As the two boys sat down, Hermione came over to Lizzie. She whispered to Lizzie, "You said you wanted a distraction."  _How true, but I don't know if I meant this kind of distraction…well, we will see where this goes._

Lizzie smiled as she sat next to him. She was still trying to figure out his accent when he started talking.

"So, you haven't told me your name."

Lizzie giggled, "I'm sorry. I'm Lizzie."  _Oh no, I'm giggling already._

"Pretty name. You are from America, right?"

Lizzie nodded, "How could you tell?"

"Your accent."  _Duh, of course he could tell by my accent. Why am I such an idiot?_  He laughed at the look of embarrassment on her face. "You have a beautiful voice." Lizzie smiled in response to that.  _Ha. Well, I can't say that I don't like him._

"Where did you get your accent from?"

"I grew up in London. My family moved when I started school at Durmstrang."

"Did you miss London?"

He nodded, "I had the choice to go to Durmstrang or Hogwarts, and you know which one I chose." He grinned.

"Do you think you made the right choice?"

"No…if I knew that beautiful girls, such as yourself, were here, I would have been here forever." Lizzie laughed.  _How cute. I should just leave right now. It's not fair for me to be internally sulking and putting him through that. However, he is making me feel better. And that's the point of this…right?_  Lizzie vaguely realized that he just asked her a question.

"I'm sorry," She said while blushing, "What did you ask?"

He gave her a genuine smile, and she involuntarily thought of his smiles.  _Lizzie, stop it._  "Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"


	7. First Task

_What?_  "I, uh," Lizzie looked over Ivan's shoulder and saw Hermione nodding vigorously.  _Ha. Well I know what Hermione wants me to say._  She turned her attention back to Ivan. He was eager to hear her answer. "Umm, yeah! I would love to go with you."

A smile crept upon his lips, "Thank you very much."  _He is pretty cute._  They quickly finished their lunch and went their separate ways.

Lizzie turned to Hermione as they were taking their seats for class, "I think he will be a very good distraction." Hermione burst into a fit of giggles.

Ron turned around with a weird expression on his face, "What is going on?"

"N- Nothing," Hermione said between giggles.

"Women," Ron muttered. That statement made Lizzie and Hermione laugh louder.

Professor Flitwick entered the classroom, meaning that class was going to start soon.  _I need to calm down…_ Lizzie took a few deep calming breaths which did help a little. She suddenly felt someone's hands on her shoulders. She turned around to see a pair of eyes that she knew all to well.

"Hey Jake!"

"You will never guess what I just heard?"

"Hmm, what was it?" Lizzie had a feeling it was about Ivan.

"It seems a certain best friend of mine got a date to the Yule Ball and didn't tell me!" He said jokingly mad.

"It happened like thirty minutes ago!" Lizzie sighed.  _Jake is impossible, but that is why I love him._  "Who told you anyway?"

"Well that's my secret," Jake laughed.

Ron turned around, oblivious to the conversation, "What are you guys talking about?"

"I'll tell you later." Lizzie said because Professor Flitwick was starting class.

 _That class was probably the best class I have ever had. The work was easy – I got my project done before Hermione! I was so excited…I guess it pays to be happy._  Lizzie and Hermione casually walked out of the classroom. They were surprised to see a disgruntled Ron waiting for them.

"So are you guys going to tell me what's going on?"

The girls exchanged glance. "Ron, are you ok?" Harry asked as he walked up to the group. He nodded, but somehow Lizzie didn't believe him. Ron wasn't saying anything so Lizzie decided to get the attention off of him.

"So, Harry. Are you ready for tomorrow?" Harry looked a little faint when she mentioned this but quickly pulled himself together.

"Yeah, I have a plan…"

"Oh yes, the first task. I can't wait to see you look like a fool, Pothead."  _Really? Did you really have to ruin my somewhat decent mood?_  Lizzie turned to look at Draco. When they made eye contact, Lizzie felt like the air was being sucked out of her.

"Mind your own business, Malfoy." Harry said with a clenched jaw.

In the last few minutes Ron and his weird mood had been forgotten, but he suddenly had the courage to actually ask someone to the Yule Ball. "Hermione, can I ask you something." With that brief sentence, the eyes of Lizzie, Hermione, Harry, Draco and his followers were on Ron.

"I can't wait to see this…blood traitor and a mudblood, how cute." Draco stated sarcastically.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Lizzie muttered. He turned and looked at her. She gazed up at him, and his eyes were warm, but then they suddenly grew cold.

"Are you sure you want to say that, Adams?" Malfoy meanly stated.

"You want to get hexed again?" Lizzie shot right back. She glared at him, and he actually broke their eye contact.

"What do you want Ron?" Hermione asked, and all the attention turned back to them.

"Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"I'm sorry but I'm already going with someone else."

Ron chuckled at this response, "No, you aren't. It's ok, Hermione. Who cares if nobody has asked you yet…I'm saving you." Hermione stared at him with her mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"We all know that you and Lizzie probably wouldn't get asked."

Lizzie eyes narrowed at this statement, "Excuse me?"  _What the hell? Where does he come off to say that about me?_

"You—" But he couldn't finish his sentence because Lizzie cut him off.

"For your information, Hermione and I both have dates. And how about you do us a favor and just get out of here. We don't need you to 'save' us." Ron turned bright red at this statement. He clearly didn't believe that they had dates, but he left anyway. Hermione watched him leave and then stormed off in the other direction. Harry followed her, hoping he could make her feel better.

That left Lizzie and the Slytherins. Draco had been surprisingly quiet during that conversation. She reluctantly turned to face them, and they instantly started laughing at her expense. "Oh, poor Lizzie, are you gonna go cry?" Pansy mocked.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "oh shut up," She quickly pushed past them.

Lizzie heard them laughing and heading toward the Great Hall.  _I can't believe he would say that to me._  Somebody grabbed her and turned her around. She was now face to face with those deep grey eyes.  _What now?_  She wanted to say that, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Draco just held her for a little until she finally found her voice, "What?"

"Umm, you don't really have a date for the Yule Ball, do you?" Lizzie was pissed off at this point.  _Why doesn't anyone believe me? Am I that undesirable?_

Lizzie shoved herself away from him, or she at least tried to. "Yes. I. Do."

Draco was visibly upset that she pushed him away, "Well then who is?"

"I'm not going to tell you! Why do you care anyway? You have Pansy…whatever she is to you." Draco didn't answer that question, and Lizzie just walked away.  _I don't have to deal with this._

"Lying won't help your case at all, Adams!" Draco yelled down the corridor.

She stopped in her tracks and faced him. "Well, why don't you tell yourself that Malfoy!"  _He knows he's acting a lie._

Lizzie woke up the next morning still angry at what happened the night before. Her anger quickly turned into concern when she saw the look on Harry's face.  _I forgot, the first task is today._  She walked to where Hermione and Harry were sitting. Lizzie was glad that Ron was nowhere to be found.

Lizzie approached them carefully, "How are you feeling?" Harry just gave her a grim look.

"You need to eat something," stated Hermione. She was concerned from him as well. Harry silently shook his head.

"Potter!" growled someone from behind them. Lizzie turned around to see Professor Moody limping toward them. "What are you doing? You need to get ready!" He grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him to his feet. He gave him a push in the right direction and Harry slowly started walking. Lizzie and Hermione quietly followed.  _Poor Harry. He didn't even want this to happen._

Lizzie waited for the task to start. She and Hermione sat down in the middle of the bleachers.

"Move Granger," said a cold voice from behind them, "I can't see with your big head in my way." Hermione didn't respond to him.  _Of course Draco has to be sitting behind us._ "You think you can ignore me?" She still kept her gaze toward the stadium.  _You get it girl._ He then focused his attention on Lizzie. "What about you Adams? Can you really ignore me?" Lizzie kept her focus forward. _Do not look…Lizzie, don't you look._  She suddenly felt a hand on the small of her back. "Can you really?" Hermione broke her glance to look at Lizzie.  _Do not break…just ignore him._  His hand was rising along her back and stopped where her bra strap was.  _Please, just stop. Just leave me alone._ Lizzie silently begged, but she didn't think he would.

"Leave her alone!" Lizzie looked to see who the voice belonged to. She was surprised to find Ivan hovering over Draco. Draco looked between Ivan and Lizzie with confusion. He slowly released her looking slightly annoyed. Lizzie saw that expression and felt a little guilty.  _No! It serves him right, that stupid git._  Lizzie smiled at Ivan showing her thanks. "I was wondering if I could sit with you."

"Yeah of course!" Lizzie asked Hermione to scoot down to give them more room. He smiled at her, and he put his arm around her. Lizzie let a small giggle escape her lips.  _I wish I could see the look on Draco's face! Now he will definitely believe that I have a date._

Hermione smiled at Lizzie. She definitely knew what Lizzie was thinking. "Well don't you two look cute!" Ivan smiled at that.  _He does have a cute smile._

At that moment the contestants came out on the field. They introduced all of them and when Harry's name was called, Hermione and Lizzie cheered the loudest. Ivan laughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot that you were a Potter fan." He said jokingly.

Lizzie turned to him, "I hope that won't be a problem," she laughed, "I hope you don't expect me to cheer for Krum."

"Maybe not you, but Hermione better." Hermione just laughed at that statement. She didn't want to tell anyone about Krum. The first task finally started and all their attention was on the players. They had to retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. First was Krum. He successfully got the egg, but it looked like he received some bad burns.

"I don't think I can watch the rest of this," Lizzie said.

"Don't worry, they have many people ready, just in case something does go wrong." Lizzie understood that, but it didn't make anything better. She was still very worried. Harry was up last. He walked onto the field looking deathly afraid.  _Oh no, that can not be a good sign._  For the longest time, he wasn't using any magic. He was just getting himself out of harms way.  _I don't blame him._  He finally took his wand and said a spell. Lizzie waited for something to happen but nothing did.  _Come on Harry!_  Out of the corner of her eye she saw something coming toward the field. It was a broomstick…Harry's broomstick. It came right to him, and he mounted it, flying in the sky. Everyone abruptly cheered. They watched him dive and fake around the dragon until he was able to take the egg. When he achieved that, everyone celebrated.

Since Harry was the last one, everyone was starting to leave. Lizzie was so happy for Harry she didn't even notice the eyes that were following her as she was leaving.

Ivan excused himself to talk to Krum while Hermione and Lizzie were waiting for Harry. He finally came out with a huge smile on his face. The two girls ran up to give him a huge hug. "I'm so proud of you Harry!" Lizzie stated, "But I won't lie, you had me worried in the beginning."

Harry laughed at that, "I had myself worried too." More and more people came to congratulate him, and Hermione and Lizzie were pushed aside. They yelled to him that they would meet him in the dorms and started walking toward the castle. Hermione looked around and saw that there was no one really close, she had to ask Lizzie something.

"I'm sorry to ask this…but did something change between you and Malfoy?" Lizzie shrugged. "Like I know you don't want to like him, but I think you are kind of failing…"

Lizzie sighed, "I would, unfortunately, have to agree with you."

"And, I'm pretty sure he was getting pretty jealous of Ivan." Lizzie laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Although, I just want to say, that Draco is not the reason that I agreed to go to the Yule Ball with Ivan."

Hermione laughed at that, "Noted. But, it definitely doesn't hurt the situation."  _How true, how true…_


	8. Nothing Like a Little Drama

> Dear Diary,
> 
> Well, this year is definitely crazy. The Yule Ball is coming up, and I'm really excited! I'm going with Ivan, and he is such a total gentleman. He is always cautious about his actions, and he doesn't want me to feel like I'm taking advantage of him. Haha, I wonder what he would say if I told him he was my rebound…that's taking advantage.
> 
> And I just wish Draco would stop being such an ass! He is a completely different person when he is alone. I can't stop thinking about that night in the Room of requirement. It was so magical, and I hate how he can think that didn't mean anything because I definitely know it did!
> 
> Why do I keep thinking like this? He doesn't like me – why do I keep thinking that he will come to me and tell me he was being an arrogant jerk and that he is sorry. Hahaha, the day that Draco says that, I will die of shock…yes, that is what I need to be thinking. I can't be optimistic about this anymore – it's been about four months and he doesn't even look at me anymore.
> 
> But screw him…I have Ivan…and he is perfect, right?
> 
> Lizzie

"Hermione! Lizzie! Come on guys, wait!" Ginny yelled. She ran to catch up with the two older girls. She took awhile to catch her breath, "Can I go dress shopping with you guys?"

Lizzie laughed, "Of course!" Ginny said her thanks, and they kept walking toward Hogsmeade. "Wait, who are you going with?" Lizzie asked. She knew that Ginny had a crush on Harry, but Lizzie didn't think he would ask her.

Ginny blushed and mumbled something. Hermione smiled at her response, "Sorry, what was that Ginny?"

She looked up, still blushing, "Neville Longbottom."

"Awe!" Lizzie chimed, "That is so cute!"

"Yeah…" Ginny trailed off. "I know you're going with Ivan," she said as she gestured to Lizzie, "but, who are you going with?"

Hermione blushed, "well you promise not to tell anyone?" Ginny nodded eager to hear who it is. "Victor Krum." Ginny squealed.

"Oh my gosh! Hermione that is amazing! Why don't you want anyone to know?"

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know…I guess I really don't want all of his fan girls giving me evil looks."  _Or you don't want Ron to be giving you evil looks. It's going to be a little awkward when he finds out._ The three girls eventually made it into the dress shop.

 _This is awesome!_  Lizzie never went to a shop like this. There were dresses all along the shop, but there was only one. If someone picked a dress it would fit to their size. The three girls started to look, and Ginny was the first to find one. "Hey guys look at this!" She stepped out of the changing stall. She was wearing a turquoise halter dress. "What do you think?"

"Ginny you look beautiful," Hermione breathed. Lizzie nodded in agreement. "You should definitely get that one."

Ginny pondered it for a little, and then decided to get it. The next person to find a dress was Hermione. She found a beautiful lavender dress. The three girls quickly agreed that she should buy it. Lizzie was the only one dressless. She tried on what seemed like a million dresses, and yet she was empty-handed.  _Maybe this is a sign saying that I shouldn't go to the dance._

"What about this one?" Ginny asked. Lizzie shrugged and took it. She was not in a good mood anymore. She came out of the dressing stall and Hermione and Ginny gasped. "Lizzie, this is definitely the one!"

"Really?"  _I actually didn't even look at it on…I figured it wouldn't work._  She walked over to the mirror and her jaw dropped. She did look beautiful. She was wearing a long strapless white gown, that had a beaded pattern dispersed on the front. "I don't know guys…it's white."

"So?"

"Well, I feel like I'm buying my wedding dress…"

Hermione laughed, "No, you are definitely getting this dress. It looks absolutely stunning on you!" The more Lizzie looked at the dress the more she liked it. Eventually she agreed to their pleas, "Alright you convinced me."

After the three of them paid for their dresses, they headed back to the castle. Lizzie separated from the group to find Ivan. She wanted to tell him what color dress she had. It took her a while, but she finally found him. "Hey Ivan!"

Ivan smiled when she approached him, but she noticed that he was acting a little weird. "Hey, Lizzie. What's up?"

"Well, I just got my dress."

"Oh! What does it look like?" He seemed really excited about this. Lizzie went into full detail about what it looked like.  _I'm really glad I'm going with him._

"I'm sure you will look amazing."

Lizzie blushed, "Thanks." She looked up, and once again, he seemed nervous again. "Is everything ok?"

He took a deep breathe and looked Lizzie straight in the eye, "Lizzie, there is something I need to tell you."  _Oh no, this cannot be good! He is going to dump me…he is going to dump me TWO weeks before the dance._

"What?" Lizzie replied shakily.

"I'm…I'm gay."  _Whoa._

Lizzie stood there with her mouth hanging open for what seemed like forever. She finally recovered a bit, "I'm sorry, what?" She eventually mumbled.

Ivan looked really nervous, "I'm gay."

Lizzie nodded, and she turned herself away from him. "So…why are you telling me this?"

"I just wanted to let you know before the dance. I didn't want you to get your hopes up." He was definitely looking uncomfortable now.

Once again Lizzie nodded, "Am I the only one who knows?" He nodded.

"I didn't know if you were thinking about us…as 'us'. I didn't want that situation to happen."

"No, I understand. So…" she eyed Ivan, "you have to be completely honest." Ivan tensed at this point. "Any guys here that you want to get with?" She said mischievously.

Ivan smiled in relief, "Well, now that you mention it…there is one." Lizzie leaned forward on to her elbows. She was definitely interested. "His name is Draco Malfoy."

Lizzie froze. "Sorry, what?"

 To her surprise, Ivan started laughing hysterically. "You should have seen you face!" He shouted between laughs.

Lizzie was frozen, "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, I don't like him."

"Then why –"

"I could tell that you liked him…I just thought it would be funny."

"How could you tell? Am I that obvious?"

Ivan pulled her so she was facing him, "No, Lizzie don't worry. You do a good job hiding it…which I don't know why. I guess I just had this feeling that you liked him, and your reaction definitely confirmed my thoughts."  _Well, I'm glad that I'm not completely obvious. I wonder who else knows._  Ivan brought Lizzie out of her thoughts by another question. "Why don't you want anyone to know?"

"It's a long story." Lizzie simply stated.

"Well, I've got plenty of time." Lizzie sighed and faced him. She couldn't help but smile. He was turning out to be a great friend. She tried to give him a short version, but that didn't work out so well. "Wow." He said when she finished.

"Yeah, I know."

He opened his mouth, and then closed it real quickly. He seemed to be pondering something. "Listen, I wish I could tell you what to do. But, I honestly have no idea." Lizzie stayed quiet after that. Ivan continued to observe her; he was waiting for some sort of reaction. When none came, he added something to his original thoughts, "do whatever will make you happy."

Lizzie turned to him and smiled. He returned it and pulled her into a hug.

"Lizzie! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Jake said as he approached them. "Hey, Ivan. Listen, I really need your help."

"With what?"

He groaned, "Melissa."

"Your date?" She asked.

"Yes…she's crazy."

"No, Jake, I won't help you." He turned to her and gave her his puppy eyes. "No! I know what you want me to do!" She yelled while laughing.

Ivan shoved her away, "Oh go help him," he said with a smile.

Lizzie turned to him with a mock death glare, "Oh, Ivan. Don't get on my bad list..." He laughed at the angry expression on her face.

"Oh, come on Lizzie. You couldn't be mad at anyone." Lizzie laughed along with him and nodded in agreement.

"Let's go!" Jake said as he pulled her. Lizzie rolled her eyes but followed him anyway to the courtyard.  _Well this is just going to be fun._  "Alright, there she is." Lizzie followed his glance, she had never meet this girl before.  _She looks normal enough._  "I swear she is crazy…believe me." Jake finished as if reading her mind.

"Jakie!" Lizzie's draw dropped as Melissa came skipping toward them. She ignored Lizzie as she went into Jake's arms, squeezing the life out of him. Lizzie stifled a laugh.  _I guess he's right._

"Listen, Melissa, we need to talk…" Her face beamed.  _Oh no, she has no idea where this is going…and Jake couldn't have been more obvious about it._

"What is it Jakie?" She said in a high-pitched voice.

Jake started to put his arm around me, "Well, Lizzie and I have been talking and—"

He couldn't finish the sentence because he was cut off by another voice. "What's going on here?" Lizzie took a quick breath, she knew that voice. She turned to find herself staring deeply into those intense grey eyes. She had been trying to avoid those. She couldn't look anywhere else but him. She felt Jake's arm tugging her back to him, but she couldn't move.

"We were talking, and I just don't think I can go with you when I…I like someone else."

Melissa's eyes shot daggers at Lizzie right away. She looked back and forth between Lizzie and Jake. Lizzie had a feeling that Draco was doing the same.  _It's not real…please know that._  She silently begged, but she knew it probably wouldn't work. "I don't believe you." Melissa finally said. "Prove it."  _Oh no. If only Draco weren't here._

Jake shrugged, "fine." He pulled Lizzie closed and kissed her straight on the lips. He pulled away, but the sound of cat calls were still there. Jake looked to find Melissa but she was already gone. Lizzie tried to find Draco but was disappointed when she realized that he was gone too. "Thanks." Jake whispered to her. "And…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it while he was there." Lizzie knew that Jake was sorry…

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go."  _I'm so sick of doing this…_ It was all part of their plan. They would act like they are dating, just to either confuse people, or make other people back off, and then they would say they are mistaken…they are just really great friends. Usually, this was only needed with Jake. Lizzie never got into these situations with her dates.

She didn't realize that she was heading to the tree until she was sitting under it.  _Figures this is where I would subconsciously go._ She cradled herself against the tree and just gazed out onto the lake.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Lizzie jumped up as she heard that voice. Once again, she was frozen from seeing him. "Please, Lizzie. Just tell me what is going on."

She finally found her voice, "Jake didn't want to go with her to the Yule Ball."

"So?"

"So…he wanted her to break it off with him, so he wouldn't feel bad."

"So by trying not to hurt her feelings, he made out with you in front of her."

Lizzie got defensive, "We did not make out…we just kissed. But, yes. I know it's stupid…Jake just still does it."

"Well, why don't you say no?" Lizzie just shrugged.

"He's my best friend. I help him out, and vice-versa."

"Have you ever done that to someone?" He asked softly.

Lizzie finally turned away from him, "no."

"Then he shouldn't expect you to do that." His voice suddenly got angry.

"Calm down…I let him do it. It's just as much my fault as it is his."

Draco shook his head, "no, he knows that you are too good of a person to say no…and he's just using that."

"Shut up!" Lizzie said, now turning angry herself. "He is MY best friend; I think he knows how to treat me."

Draco looked like he was about to comment on that but stopped. "Never mind. I'm not going to get into this with you." They just sat in silence for a while. "So…just clarifying. You don't want to go to the Yule Ball with Jake?"

"No. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure that your boyfriend, Ivan, won't get hurt." He said with malice.

Lizzie looked up at him, speechless. He confirmed that thought when she didn't say anything, and he quickly turned to leave. "Draco, wait!" But he didn't wait for her; he just kept walking toward the castle, and Lizzie just watched him leave.


	9. Room of Requirement

Lizzie collapsed as she watched Draco enter the castle.  _This isn't fair! Why is this happening? I'm just trying to be a good friend._   _Oh come on, this is my fault anyway._  Lizzie flinched as she felt the raindrops starting to hit her.  _And I thought this day couldn't get worse._  She hustled to her dorm and quickly pulled out her diary.

> Dear Diary,
> 
> Well, my life is amazing right now. You should be jealous…ok no you shouldn't. It's complete bullshit what happened. This has been the most ridiculous day.  Jake uses me…no, he asks me, to help him with Melissa. Sweet. Oh, and Draco just happened to be walking by at that  _exact_  moment…even better. So now he's mad at me.
> 
> Yeah, and I can't believe Draco had the nerve to say that Jake was using me. That's complete bullshit! Jake and I have been friends forever. Seriously, it has been a long time, and I know he wouldn't intentionally do that to me. I mean he just doesn't care…he doesn't realize the seriousness of his actions.
> 
> Gosh, I hate boys…seriously. Life would be so much easier if they just went away. People think that girls are surrounded by drama – well it's only because of them! Ugh. They make me sick.
> 
> I don't feel like writing in this anymore…
> 
> ~Lizzie

Lizzie groaned as she fell back onto her bed. Being at Hogwarts was not how she expected it to be. She lied there for a few moments contemplating her situation. However Hermione found her and brought Lizzie out of her thoughts.

Hermione sat down next to Lizzie and slowly started to comb her fingers through her hair. "So what happened?"

Lizzie sighed, "I don't know where to start," Hermione sat on the bed, patiently waiting for her to continue. "Maybe it's a sign."

Hermione genuinely looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"This…this thing with Draco. Whatever it may be. It seems that everything is pushing against it."

"I would think the opposite," Hermione interjected.

Lizzie sat up to face her, "what do you mean?"

"Think about it. You are friends with his sworn enemies. You are the sweetest girl ever and he is a complete asshole," Lizzie gave her a look, "Ok, well he's different with you. You are in different houses, and only have a few classes together. You two got really close for all of the things pulling against you."

Lizzie sighed, Hermione wasn't making this any better. "I guess I wish that it would be easier. It's so complicated. I mean, look at me. Here I am going on and on about this boy and he has never actually told me how he feels about me."

"Hmm…" Hermione pondered her statement, "well, I think he's crazy about you. You didn't know him before this year. He has definitely calmed down, and I think that it's because of you." She got off the bed and headed for the door. "You should cheer up, the Yule ball will be here soon. That's gonna be a lot of fun. You never know what's gonna happen there."

Lizzie couldn't help but laugh, "yeah, we'll see." Lizzie watched her leave and then put her head on the pillow.  _If only I could sleep through the next few weeks._  Lizzie was seconds from being asleep when her noisy roommate Jessica barged through the door.  _Really?_  She was throwing her clothes around everywhere – looking for something.  _Well, so much for sleeping here._  Lizzie was about to give up on the idea, when she remembered somewhere for her to go.  _The Room of Requirement._

She quickly got out of bed and rushed past Jessica. "Oh sorry, I didn't know you were asleep."

 _Sure you didn't._  Lizzie managed to give her a smile, "S'okay." She got out of the dorm and almost ran to the room. She saw that it had already appeared.  _Ugh. Why does somebody have to be in it now? Maybe I can convince them to let me use it._  Lizzie slowly entered the room, looking for the person. She didn't see anybody. "Umm, is anybody here?" She kept walking further into the room until she saw him.

Draco Malfoy.

 _Of course he would be using it._  It looked like he didn't hear her. She figured she could get out before he noticed so she began tip-toeing towards the door. She thought she was going to make it, but of course her uncoordinated feet disagreed. Lizzie ended up tripping and falling on her face.

"Who's there?"  _Shit._

(Draco's POV)

Draco heard a bang and quickly got up. "Who's there?" He yelled. He picked up his wand preparing for the worst. He saw a figure rolling on the floor. "Who are you?" He said pointing his wand in that direction.

"Lumos," he muttered. A bright light erupted from his wand. He started to point it across the room waiting for a figure to appear. When it did, it was not what he expected. He watched Lizzie stand up and run toward the door. She was about to open the door when he finally found his voice, "wait!"

She paused at the door which gave him enough incentive to walk toward the door after her. She turned around, but she didn't look at him. "I'm sorry, I just wanted a place to sleep."

He stared at her observing her with the most interest. She was beautiful to him…he loved everything about her. He took in her chestnut colored hair, her big expressive eyes. He wished that she would look at him. What he misses most about her was her smiles. It has been forever since she has smiled in his presence.  _I don't blame her though._  He knew that she had different kind of smiles too, and she had a special smile just for him. He didn't know how to explain it though. When she gave him that smile, it was filled with trust and understanding…or maybe the fact that he knew it was just for him made it that much more special.

"Umm…well, you can stay here." Lizzie continued to stare at the floor, acting like she didn't hear him. "Yeah…well, I'll just get my things." He found his things in the corner of the room and headed out the door.

"So what were you doing in here?" Lizzie stopped and actually looked at him for the first time that night.

"I, uh, I just wanted a place to think…with out anybody to distract me."

"What were you thinking about?" What was he thinking about? Her appearance had dropped all of his thoughts completely. Then he remembered, it came swarming back to him. He couldn't get that image out of his head of Lizzie and Jake kissing.  _That stupid bastard. He better be glad that I had enough control to walk away because I swear I was one second away from ripping his head off._

"Umm…nothing in particular," he mumbled.

"Hmm…" He could feel his eyes on her and yet, he wouldn't look up. "yeah, I don't believe you."

"What? Why?"

"Because the only time you don't make eye-contact with me is when you're lying."

"Oh, really?" Draco said in a disapproving matter. Lizzie nodded in agreement, "Well, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Never. Which is exactly why I know that's the reason."

"That's not true…you just want me to tell you."

"Yes I do!" She said forcefully, she stormed up to him, definitely invading his personal space.  _Not that I mind of course._  But then, that stupid image of them kissing once again appeared in his head.  _Not now…just get out of my head._  Lizzie noticed his stubborn demeanor change into something else. "Listen," she continued, "I'm tired, I'm angry and I'm sad…and all of those problems are from you. So will you please save me a little distress and tell me what's going on?"

Draco didn't believe what he was hearing. "I made…you sad?" He wished he didn't say it because Lizzie immediately walked to the other side of the room, far away from him.

"You know what, just forget it. I just want to sleep, and I would very much appreciate it if you left."

Draco wasn't going to let her win that easily, "No." He met her in the other corner, his stubbornness had returned. "Tell me what I have done to you."

Lizzie looked like she was about to give in, but suddenly stopped. A look of amusement appeared on her face, "No."  _Whoa, Lizzie usually never says no…what's going on._  He couldn't tell, but he didn't like that look on her face.

"Seriously, tell me."

"No."

 _What the hell is she getting at? I'm Draco Malfoy…nobody says no to me!_ "Tell me, right now." He commanded.

"Fine." She simply stated, and Draco was shocked that she gave in that easily. "But only if you tell me what you were thinking." Draco opened his mouth to respond, but he closed it when he didn't know what to say. "Admit it, I got you."

 _That did not happen._ "No you didn't." Draco tried to find a way out of this. He really wanted to know what he did to hurt her.  _Shit, that did happen._  He gave a wary sigh, and Lizzie broke into a huge smile when she realized that she had won. Draco stared at her, and her smile, and unconsciously mirrored hers.  _She's beautiful._  "Fine. You win."

"Good. So what were you thinking about?"  _She definitely doesn't waste any time._

Draco's smile that he held turned into a scowl as he told her, "I was thinking about that little show you put on." He watched the smile slowly slide off of her face. "See this is why I didn't want to tell you." He instantly regretted telling her…he should have lied.

"No, I'm glad you told me the truth." She leaned against the wall, and slide down it, and ended up in a position that looked clearly uncomfortable to Draco. He awkwardly sat down next to her. "I've been thinking about what you said a lot." She glanced over at him, "And I know you probably don't believe me, but I know Jake, and he would never intentionally hurt me like that. He is my best friend, and I trust him with my life. I just want you to understand that."

Draco was watching her throughout her speech. He felt like a complete jerk. "Well, I'm not gonna lie to you. I can't just change my opinion of him. I mean, I'll try, but give me some time." She nodded. "I just…I just think you should be treated better than that. It seems almost as if he's just using you."

"But he's not –"

"I know, I know. He's not using you…but I'm just telling you what I think." She nodded once again, and she started to close her eyes. He let out a small chuckle, "come here, Lizzie." He put his arm around her, and he pulled her closer to him.

"Thanks," she mumbled, and she was soon fast asleep.

Draco looked at her, she was so serene, and she fit so well with him. Usually he feels a little awkward being this close to someone, but with Lizzie, that was not the case at all. He didn't want to sleep on the floor, and after that thought a king-size bed appeared in the room. He gently lifted her up, and set her down softly set her down. He quickly slid into the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waste, and settled down to sleep.  _It can't get any better than this._


	10. Hogsmeade Trips are Fun!

Lizzie awoke the next morning in a huge white bed. As she gazed around the room, she realized that she was in the Room of Requirement. She lay back down and closes her eyes, attempting to get a few more minutes of rest.  _Funny…I don't remember falling asleep in a bed._  Her eyes suddenly shot open. "Draco!" she exclaimed.

She remembered the conversation that had passed between them. "Oh gosh,"  _I can't believe that I feel asleep next to him. But, wait, then how did I get in the bed?_  She glanced at the rest of the bed and saw the sheets messed up.  _He must have slept with me…_ A little grin appeared on her face. She knew she shouldn't have enjoyed the thought, but she did. For having an extremely bad day, Draco sure knew how to make it better. She laid back down in the bed, there was nothing for her to do today. Soon Lizzie was back asleep.

She awoke to the sound of her stomach grumbling, she was wicked hungry. She reluctantly left her warm cozy bed and headed toward the Great Hall. She glanced into the room and saw that many people were there. She headed toward Hermione and Harry, Ron was no where to be found. Curiosity got the better of her as she glanced toward the Slytherin table. Her face fell when she saw that he wasn't there…oh maybe that is for the best.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked her when she sat down.

Lizzie shrugged clearly avoiding the question. She didn't want to talk about it in front of Harry.

Luckily for her, Harry was distracted by something written in the Daily Prophet. "That stupid woman. This is the biggest BS I have ever read!"

Lizzie gave an inquiring look to Hermione, "Rita Skeeter," she answered. "Harry, you know it's not true. Don't worry about it." Harry was still fuming over it. Hermione sighed and redirected her attention to Lizzie. "So are you excited for Saturday?"

Lizzie thoughts kept going back to Draco; she tried to get him out her mind to avail. "What's on Saturday?"

Hermione's mouth dropped, "The Yule Ball!"

Lizzie suddenly tensed, "Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about that!"  _I don't know how I could though._  At that moment, Draco walked through the door. Lizzie felt herself blush as she saw him looking across the Gryffindor table. When he finally found her, he gave her a little smirk. Lizzie felt her heart beat wildly within her.  _I thought that I was against this happening…_ but no matter what she thought, she couldn't get her mind away from him.

"Lizzie!" Hermione yelled.

"Yeah?" She reluctantly tore her eyes from him.

Hermione looked at her with an amused expression on her face, "I have been saying your name for a while. What were you thinking about?"

Lizzie involuntary blushed, "nothing,"

A knowing look spread across Hermione's face.

Lizzie mouthed 'later', and that seemed like a good enough answer for her. At that point, Harry started muttering something under his breath.

"Come again Harry?"

"This woman is going to be the death of me…seriously if she doesn't stop saying these things heads will roll."

Lizzie shook her head while silently laughing. "You are too much, Harry."

He just huffed in response.

Hermione smiled and returned her attention to Lizzie, "So, what I was going to ask you, is if you want to go to Hogsmeade tonight?"

Lizzie was genuinely confused, "Why?"

"Well, I figured we could try our dresses on, get all the alterations done, and then maybe just hang out. Actually, the teachers are letting 3rd years and up go out tonight."

"Yeah that would be fun!"

That day seemed to go on forever, every place she went, Lizzie was looking for him, but he never was there.  _Maybe it's just bad timing…yeah, let's hope that's what it is._  Lizzie started to get ready for Hogsmeade. It was nothing special, but she wanted to look nice because she was sick of looking like a bum every day. She decided to wear a blue baby doll dress and a cute pair of ballet shoes. She put on some makeup (not too much), and even curled her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and gave herself an approving nod. She never liked to judge herself, but at this moment, she could say without hesitation that she looked good.

She waited in the common room for Hermione. She glanced over at the table and saw a book. Naturally, her curiosity won, and she went to see what it was. It was a copy of  _Sense and Sensibility_  by Jane Austen. It was one of her favorite novels, and she laughed to herself.  _I wonder who's reading this._  She tried to think back, but she didn't remember seeing anyone reading it.

She shrugged and opened it up, and a letter fell out of the book. Lizzie hastily picked it up and was about to put it back in when she saw that it was addressed to her.  _This is…odd._  That seemed to be the only word that fit. She looked around, but nobody seemed to take notice of her situation.  _Hmm…well, I guess I'll open it._

At first it was a blank page, and Lizzie was about to throw it away, when words started to appear.

**Hello, I have to say that I'm glad that you found this.**

That's all the note said. Lizzie was a bit paranoid now, and she looked around, but it didn't seem like anyone was doing this. Her focus was back on the paper because new words started to appear.

**I know that you love to read, and I thought you would like this one. It looked like you needed a little pick-me-up. But what I really wanted to do is ask if you would want to meet me at Hogsmeade. Who am I? Well, I'm not going to tell you just yet. I would love it, if you would meet me at eight o'clock outside the Three Broomsticks.**

**Sincerely yours,  
xx**

Lizzie kept staring at the note, and eventually all the words faded away. Who would send this to me? Before she could even think of someone, Hermione appeared.

"Are you ready to go?"

Lizzie faintly nodded. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was seven o'clock. Well, she still had time to decide what to do.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked, finally seeing Lizzie's shell-shocked expression.

"I dunno." A confused look appeared on Hermione's face, "Let's walk and talk." On the way to the dress shop, Lizzie explained to her what happened. Hermione's guard was put on right away. She never thought anything that could think for itself was trustworthy. She started to think of people who it could be.

"And it must be someone from Gryffindor."

Lizzie's head shot up, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, it was in our common room, so unless someone asked a Gryffindor to take it in…which is highly unlikely."

"Oh, right." Lizzie sighed, she didn't want to think about this anymore. She thought…she hoped that the note was from Draco…but Hermione made a good point, Draco would never ask a Gryffindor to take it into the common room.

"I mean, it could be someone from Gryffindor who likes you."

"Eh, I don't think anyone does…" Lizzie thought about it some more, and came to a decision, "I'm gonna meet him."

Hermione looked skeptical, but she agreed, "Ok, but I'm going to be watching just in case anything bad happens."

Lizzie laughed, "All right." They quickly went through the dress shop. Their dresses were perfect so they didn't need to stay that long. Hermione checked her watch and saw that it was five until eight.

"Ok, I'm gonna be right over there. Yell if you need me."

Lizzie stood there wondering if she made the right choice. It could be some creeper that she didn't even know existed. But, wait, if he's from Gryffindor, he can't be that bad, right?

A pair of strong arms circled her from behind and a small scream escaped her lips. Her scream was met with a laugh. The person let her go, and she turned around and found herself looking at Jake.

Lizzie hit him on the arm, "Jake you scared me!" However, she still couldn't keep a smile away from her lips.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lizzie, but I couldn't help it!"

"Why didn't you ask me here like a normal person would?"

"That's a question that I do not have an answer for, I'm afraid." Lizzie was confused by his behavior, "But, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

The conversation she had with Draco last night appeared in her head, but she ignored it. This was Jake, her best friend. "Sure, what's going on?"

Jake smiled at Lizzie, "I knew I could always count on you." He held her hand and pulled her into the Three Broomsticks.

"So what's going on?"

"Hmm?" He was searching for something, but Lizzie didn't know what for.

"What's going on?" She asked for the third time. Her lips pursed as she waited for his answer.

As though he just realized she was with them, he finally answered her, "Oh, well. There is this girl, Maria that I really want to get with, but she's not interested."

Lizzie rolled her eyes; of course it would be about a girl.  _That's always how it is with him._

"So I was thinking that if we acted like we were dating, it would make her jealous."

"And that would help how?"

"Well, then, obviously, she would totally be into me."

"Really? Somehow, I don't think that would work."

"Believe me, Lizzie, I know women."

_Oh well, excuse me, master._  Lizzie didn't say it, but she really wanted to. "So we just act like we are dating?"

"Yep, just like we always do."

_Well, this seems easy enough._  Lizzie and Jake entered the Three Broomsticks, and Jake quickly picked the table. The girl that Lizzie believed to be Maria snapped her head in their direction. The table was just out of ear shot so she couldn't hear what they are saying, but she could see them…she could see them perfectly.

"What a convenient location…"

Jake just gave her a knowing smile. Lizzie laughed and rolled her eyes in response. He took her hand and gave it a playful kiss.

"Jake, you are too much." Lizzie wasn't sure if she was joking anymore. The waitress came to their table for their order.

"And what would you like, my pet?"

"Whatever you are having my dear." Lizzie thought they sounded ridiculous…no, Lizzie knew they were acting ridiculous. Honestly, who would believe this? At that moment, a pair of grey eyes met hers.  _Draco. What is he doing here?_  He was watching her…no, he was watching them, and obviously disapproving of the situation.  _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._  She started to feel a bit nauseous, she wanted to get out of there.

"Jake…I think I need to get out of here."

"No, Lizzie, you promised."

The room started to spin, and Lizzie gripped onto the table, "Jake, I don't feel well."

"Lizzie, just twenty more minutes…that's it!"

"Jake –"

"No! Listen, after this you can do whatever you want, but since you are here now, you might as well just help me out!"

"No, she's done." Lizzie turned to where the voice was coming from, and found herself face to face with Draco. A small smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. "Come on, I'm gonna get you out of here." He pulled her arm around his shoulders and then put his other around her waist.

"Who do you think you are? Lizzie is having dinner with me at the moment, and I'm sure she would appreciate it if you backed off."

"No. The thing is when people have dinner with someone; they usually enjoy their company to begin with."

Jake stood their shocked because he didn't know how to respond to that. Draco walked her out the restaurant and set her on the bench.

"Just relax for a bit, you probably just need a bit of fresh air."

"You could tell that I wasn't feeling well?"

Draco nodded and smiled, "You are kind of obvious…it looked like you were going to throw up all over Jake…I wish you would have." He added on the end.

"Look, Draco, about Jake…"

"For your sake, I am refraining from saying anything about it. OK? Just let me know when you are ready to go."

Lizzie nodded and leaned back in the chair. She felt Draco's hand wrap around hers and she gave his a light squeeze. She couldn't help the smile that was appearing on her lips. This was the first time in public that he has shown any sort of affection. Suddenly, she didn't feel so dizzy anymore…well nauseous she should say…she knew why she felt dizzy and it had everything to do with the man sitting next to her. "Draco," She turned to face him and saw that he was watching her. When he realized he got caught he snapped his head in the other direction.

"Yeah?"

Lizzie pulled his face back towards hers, "I just wanted to thank you for getting me out of there. I didn't want to be there." Draco nodded, for some reason she felt like he understood everything about her…and she had no idea why. She felt her body push forward, and she realized she couldn't stop staring at his lips. Draco's head started to go down to meet hers. She closed her eyes and felt her heart stop. But instead of feeling his kiss, his body suddenly disappeared.

She heard a very angry yell, "You stay the hell away from her!"

_This can not be happening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :) :)


	11. Is Jake a friend or foe?

Lizzie looked behind her and recoiled when she saw the furious expression on Harry's face. She turned back to face Draco and was appalled that the same expression was forming on his face.

"What's that Potter?"

"You heard me, Malfoy. Get the hell away!"

Draco looked at Lizzie, then back to Harry. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "No thanks, I think I'm fine here."

"You arrogant little ferret!" Harry extended his arm so his wand was aimed at Draco's face.

"Stop it, you guys!" Lizzie interjected. Harry stepped closer to him, and Draco stood up waiting for the challenge. Lizzie saw Hermione behind Harry looking shell-shocked.  _Thanks for the help Hermione…_

" _Expelliarmus!"_  Draco yelled. Lizzie stood up quickly and put herself in between them.

"No you can't do this." She said to Draco. Draco's cold eyes met hers and for a moment, they softened. She thought it would end here…she hoped it would end here.

Harry must not have been paying attention or he thought that he could get around Lizzie because he yelled " _Locomotor!_ " The spell hit Lizzie squarely in the back and her legs snapped together. She lost her balance and fell away from Draco.

His eyes widened, and he lunged forward to catch her before she hit the ground. He caught her in the nick of time. He said the counter curse and Lizzie never felt more relieved to move. Draco let go of her, his anger flashing towards Harry.

"No!" Lizzie screamed. She jumped up and pulled Draco away from him. She didn't turn around, she just kept walking back to the castle.

"I see how it is!" She heard Harry scream, "You're choosing him over us. Well, if that's the way you want it!"

Tears started to pour down her face, but she wasn't gonna stop. Draco wasn't helping at all, he wasn't resisting, but his comments showed his opinion. "That little brat, he is freaking lucky that I'm walking away right now. Saint Potter…ugh…who the hell does he think he is?"

Lizzie couldn't take it anymore. Once they reached the entrance of the Great Hall, she faced Draco. She could barely see from crying so much, "Draco…please, go to your common room, and don't go looking for Harry. Please."

Draco looked like he was about to refuse her request, but instead he took her in his arms and held her tight. "I'm not gonna leave you right now," he whispered.

She cried even harder when he said that.  _Why does everything have to be so complicated?_  She gently pushed him away, "Thank you, but I need to compose myself and you, you need to calm down." She said with a weak smile.

He looked at her with his intense grey eyes, "Are you sure?"

Lizzie nodded.

He gently brushed his hand across her cheek, "you know where to find me." He dropped his hand and started to walk backwards in the direction of his common room. His eyes never left her face until she was out of sight.

Lizzie watched him leave, and she couldn't believe that she was still crying.  _Where do I go? I'm not gonna go to the common room – Harry will probably be getting back soon, and I don't want to face him right now…he probably doesn't want to face me either. I'm not gonna sit in a public place bawling my eyes out…I guess that only leaves one place for me to go…_

The room of requirement. Usually when Lizzie went there, she knew exactly what she wanted the room to be, but as the door appeared in front of her, she was hoping to see what she wanted behind it. She opened the door slowly, and was surprised at what she found. It was exactly like her room from home. Her room was covered in posters from her childhood days…ranging from the Weird Sisters to Johnny Depp. Her queen sized bed was in the center of the room, and she leapt into. She curled up with her pillow and let the tears come out.

She was crying for Jake…for Draco…for Harry, but most of all, she was crying for herself. She didn't know what to think.

_Are Jake and I not on speaking terms? Are Harry and I not on speaking terms? I just wish Hermione would have held him back because then Draco wouldn't be so mad. Is it Draco's fault that I am mad at Jake because he was the one who put the idea in my head or have I just been ignoring how Jake has changed?_

_Why did I ever think that I could possibly date Draco and still be friends with Harry and Ron! Stupid boys. They make things so difficult. They get nastier when their pride is in danger of getting hurt…which between Harry and Draco is with every meeting…_

_What would have happened if I wouldn't have went here? If I just would have went to school in America. There would be no drama, that's for sure. I hate drama, I avoided it at all costs there…but here I just feel like it's following me everywhere…_

She was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door… _wait, that's the door to the hallway_ , she reminded herself. She cracked it open and saw Harry standing there…alone.

"Listen…" Harry started once he realized that Lizzie was not going to open the door any further. "We need to talk, and I would appreciate it if you let me inside."

Lizzie considered it for a moment, and then decided to let him in.  _We are friends…_  She went to her bed and wrapped herself in a blanket.

Harry sat on the opposite side of the bed, staring at her. He looked her dead in the eyes when he finally spoke, "Tell me why, I should be ok with you and Malfoy."

The talk with Harry seemed to last forever…it started off very rough. Lizzie felt like Harry wanted to contradict her every time she opened her mouth to speak. At the end, however, Lizzie finally thought that the information was sinking in.

"I still can't believe it."

"Believe what?"

"How he treats you. He treats you better than Fred treats Angelina – and people are saying that they are gonna get married!"

"Yeah," it was the only response that Lizzie could get out.

"Well, I'm not promising anything…but, I'll try to be cordial to him."

A small smile appeared on Lizzie's lips, "Thanks."

Harry headed toward the door to the hallway, "Are you gonna come back to the common room?"

"No, I think that I'm gonna stay here – I just want to be alone. Oh, and Harry, thanks for finding me and talking to me about this."

He opened the door to step out, "I don't ditch my friends that easily, and nice room by the way."

Lizzie watched him leave and admitted to herself that she did feel better. She wondered if Draco would put as much effort into it as Harry will. He didn't give two cents for Jake… _but then again, he was right about Jake._  Lizzie lay back down on her bed, tears starting to form in her eyes.  _Wait, what am I saying? I know Jake better than Draco does? There must be some reason for Jake doing that? Well, I guess he always does that…do I really just let him use me?_  Lizzie pondered these thoughts until she fell into a somewhat restless but satisfactory sleep.

She awoke the next morning feeling the best she had in days. She glanced around her room, pondering what she was going to do, but something wasn't right. She couldn't place it…her things were in the same place as they were when she fell asleep, but something wasn't right.

"Lizzie!" Someone was shouting outside her bedroom door. She couldn't place the voice, it sounded older than any student. And it was female, and only Harry knew she was here.  _Well, maybe he told Hermione_.

"Come in." The door opened, and Lizzie was frozen in shock. Her mother entered through the door carrying a try with coffee, cream and sugar. "Mom?" Lizzie asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Her mother chuckled, "Lizzie, this is our home."

"What?"

"Oh, you probably just don't remember, dear." Her mother sighed peacefully. "Jake brought you home last night. He told us that you were having a hard time, and all you wanted was to come home." She looked Lizzie over. "Oh, Lizzie, you should have told us! We would have gotten you right away!"

"No, I was having a great time! I want to go back!"

"Jake said you might say that. He said you got into a fight with some girl named Maria."

"Maria? I don't even know a Maria."

"He said you were jealous because he was going to go with her to some dance."

"Dance…"Lizzie said confused. When she realized what he was talking about she screamed. "The Yule Ball! Mom, I have to go! I have a date and everything."

"I don't know if it will be good for your health. Jake was saying how unstable you were."

"Mom! Jake this and Jake that! Listen to me. I've been fine, if I've had any problems, they have been with him!"

"Well…"

Lizzie couldn't believe what she was hearing. _How could that little bastard do this! I guess Draco was right all along. If he was my friend he would back me up with everything that's going on. I have to get back. Draco is going to think I abandoned him._  That thought did not sit well with Lizzie, she like she was going to throw up again.  _Jake must have done this for some reason. Why would he need to get me out of the castle? What ever reason, it can't be good._

"Mom, who are you going to listen too, me, your daughter, or a friend that you haven't talked to in two years."

"Alright, I'll talk to your father. But, no promises."

"Thank you." She watched her mother leave. Once the door was shut, she stood up and started pacing around her room.  _I need to find him. I need to know what's going on!_  She heard a pecking noise and saw that there was an owl outside of her window. She opened the window quickly and quietly. She didn't need for her mother to think she was escaping. Jake made it seem like she was about to die at Hogwarts. The owl stayed, it was waiting for an answer.

She opened it and read the parchment.

**Lizzie! Where are you! I went to the Great Hall this morning and you weren't there. I was so worried. I didn't see Jake either. And against my better judgment, I asked Potter. Don't worry, I was nice…nice enough. He said you were fine, and you slept in the room of requirement. So I went there and unfortunately Potter followed me. When we got there and went in the room, you weren't there. It wasn't being used. I thought Potter lied to me so I was about to kill him. And then I saw that he was worried. We ran to your common room which you also weren't in. We finally got a hold of McGonagall and she said it was none of our concern. Where are you? If Jake has done something to you, you tell him that the next time I see him I'm going to tear him limb from limb!**

**Please let me know you are ok.**

**Draco**

**P.S. Harry wants you to know that he will help kill Jake too.**

_They're together?! Figures they would somewhat get along when I'm not there. Well, there is nothing I can really tell him at the moment…_

She tore a sheet of paper out of her journal.

**I'm fine – I'm at home. Jake brought me back and I don't know why. I'm trying to get my parents to let me come back…**

**I miss you – Lizzie**

She tied the new note to the owl's leg and watched it fly off into the darkness. She sat down on her bed and waited for her mother to come back.

After what seemed like an eternity, her mother knocked on her door. Lizzie rushed to it, and opened it. "Lizzie, we don't know what's going on with you. Jake is making us worried, and yet, you assure us that there is nothing wrong." She looked at her daughter hard. "I want to know right now. Is there anything wrong with you at Hogwarts?"

 _I want to go back! That's all I want, but I can't lie to her and say everything is fine._  "Mom, there are some things that I'm having issues with, but issues that are normal for girls my age. Believe me, there is nothing for you to worry about."

Her mother contemplated her answer, and approved of it. "Ok, you will be leaving in a few hours. There is a flight that Jake is taking back. You will be going with him."

"I'm going with him?" Lizzie asked unenthused.

"You can stay here if you want," she said in a sweet sarcastic voice.

"No, I'll go back."

Her mother nodded, "I'll tell you when he gets here."

_Wait until he gets a piece of my mind. He's gonna wish he wasn't stuck on a plane with me…_


	12. Worst Plane Ride Ever

As soon as her mother left the room, Lizzie felt restless.  _A few hours? What the heck am I going to do for a few hours?_  Lizzie paced around her bed, and finally sat down with her journal. It felt like ages since she last wrote in it. She started as she usually did, but for some reason, she couldn't finish.  _Look at me. When I thought about what Hogwarts would bring me, I did not expect any of this._  Tears started to fall from Lizzie's eyes which just made her mad.  _Why am I crying! I'm supposed to be strong, I can handle this! Jake…that good for nothing jerk…I'm going to find out why he did this. There has to be a decent reason…_

However, the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't believe what Jake had done. Her furry towards him returned. She was clenching her fists so hard that her fingernails were leaving deep marks in her skin.  _Let's hope that this trip goes by fast…_

Lizzie was sitting on her windowsill, staring out into her backyard, when she heard a knock on her door. "Lizzie, Jake is here to pick you up." Lizzie didn't answer her mother; she just walked past her and went down the stairs.

She looked outside and noticed Jake in his car. "Are we driving there?" She asked sarcastically.

"I don't know, dear, but Jake said he had it all planned out."

"I didn't bring anything home, did I?"

"Nope." Lizzie nodded, and gave her mother a hug goodbye. She was about to step out the door when her mother said, "Lizzie, I don't know what happened over there, but, please, remember…you used to be friends. There must be a reason for that."

"People change," she answered in a heartbeat. "By mom, I'll be home in May." She continued out to his car.

Even though Lizzie shot down her mother's warning, her words were swarming around her head.  _She's right…we were friends. But, I gave him plenty of chances…it just seemed like he didn't care about what I wanted at all. Just like Draco said._

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, unfortunately, it didn't work. She opened the door, and maneuvered herself into the car.

Without a word, Jake put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Jake spoke up. "We are going to the airport, and there will be a plane flying to Hogwarts…you know, it's just like the train except with an airplane."

"I'm not an idiot."

Then it went to being silent again. The silence continued all the way to the airport, and Lizzie was furious.  _He should be begging me for my forgiveness. Doesn't he know that he hurt me? I was always there for him, and he never seemed to be there for me. Why can't I tell him this!_  She was internally struggling to decide if she should say this to him. But, at that moment, he started to head to the gate, and all Lizzie could focus on was following him. It almost seemed like he was trying to lose her.

They finally reached the gate, and entered it without a word to anyone. Lizzie looked around, and realized that it was only her and Jake on the plane. "Wonderful." She muttered.

"Did you say something?" Jake asked.

"Nope." They sat across from each other, and as soon as they were seated, the plane started to take off. Lizzie started to take long deep breaths to calm herself down. She never did well on planes, and she could already feel the pressure in her ears.

"You ok?" Jake asked.

"Like you care." Lizzie shot back.

Jake tensed up in his chair and looked over at her. Lizzie tried to avoid him, but she knew that she would eventually snap.  _So why not start now?_

"Jake –"

"Uh, don't even start with me."

"Excuse me? What made you think that I wanted to come back home?"

"I did it for your own good."

"Really? Enlighten me?"

"You need to get away from those people."

"Those people? They are my  _friends_." Lizzie was really starting to get pissed off. She was uncomfortable and stuck with him.

"And I'm not?"

"You  _were_." Once again, she emphasized her words.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It just seems like you don't care about me. I'm sick of being your plaything for your 'girlfriends' I tried telling you, but you just blew me off."

"Is that all?" He said in a bored voice.

"Being at Hogwarts has not been easy for me, and I thought having you there with me would help me. But, then of course, you always go on your own agenda."

"My own agenda?"

"Yeah," Lizzie started yelling, "The only time you have talked to me in the past few months has been about the girls you want to get with! There has been plenty of shit going on in my life and it would have been nice to have talked to a friend about it. And then, things finally may have been looking up, and you remove me from it! How can you believe that I'm not mad?" Her face was red, and she felt flustered.

He stared at her for a while before speaking, "And would you believe me that I might be doing this for you."

"Do you have any proof?" She said in an icy voice.

Jake just rolled his eyes, and didn't say anything else.

Lizzie huffed and shut her eyes.  _Please just let me fall asleep._  Sleep wasn't coming to her, and she thought she knew why. She opened her eyes and looked at Jake. He was staring out the window with a brooding expression on his face. Lizzie felt extremely guilty.  _But it's not like he's faultless. I just feel like such a bitch._  She continued to watch him.  _When he apologizes, I will._  She felt slightly better, although she knew she wouldn't feel better for a while.  _It is my curse, one part of my life is starting to feel complete, and another part falls to pieces._

She closed her eyes and willed for sleep to come to her, and eventually she entered into a dreamless sleep.


	13. Yule Ball Part 1

Lizzie awoke to a gentle tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and realized she was face to face with Jake.

She gave him a glare before he could say anything, and he just rolled his eyes. "We're here. Get your stuff."

"What stuff?" She asked mockingly, "you're the one who kidnapped me in my sleep."

Jake chose to ignore that comment, and continued to stare out the window. "Yeah, well…you'll thank me for this one day."

_I'm sure._  Why Lizzie didn't say that out loud, she wasn't sure. It could be that she felt guilty enough.  _It's true, he usually has an explanation for everything that he does…but he has never done anything like this…especially to me._

She followed Jake into the castle. She couldn't describe how happy she was to be back. As soon as she walked into the castle, Hermione pulled her aside.

"Lizzie! I was hoping you would make it back for tonight!"

"Oh yeah. The Yule Ball is tonight."

"And we have to get ready, come on." She pulled Lizzie in the direction of the Gryffindor common room before she could stop her.  _I kind of wanted to see Draco, but I guess there is no time. And I'll probably see him at the ball. Oh, yeah, how could I forget, he's going with that trick, Pansy._  A bit of jealousy ran through her body… _but everything will be ok because I am the one he likes…not Pansy._

Hermione pulled Lizzie into their bathroom and found Ginny there as well. "Lizzie! You made it back!" She exclaimed. "We only have an hour to get you ready!"

Lizzie laughed at that statement, "An hour? I'm sure that we will be ok." Lizzie was enjoying being back with Hermione and Ginny that she almost forgot that Jake kidnapped her. It left a sour taste in her mouth, but she pushed it as far as she could. She did not want that thought ruining her evening.

Ginny left early to go meet Neville which left Hermione and Lizzie in the bathroom to make some final touches.

"So, Lizzie, what exactly happened?"

Lizzie paused to think about it, and said the only conclusion she came too, "Draco was right."

Hermione didn't respond which was wise according to Lizzie. She didn't want to spoil this night.

"I wish I could see Draco though…"

"Well, you will. I mean, he will be at the ball."

"Ugh, but he will be with that pansy, Pansy."

"Cute, Lizzie."

"Oh, shut up," Lizzie said playfully, "I don't want to see them together, that's all."

"I understand, believe me." She got oddly quiet after that statement.

"Who's Ron going with?" Lizzie asked softly.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know, and I particularly don't care." A smile appeared on her lips, "Victor and I are going to have a wonderful time, and I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it. You ready?"

Lizzie nodded. She checked her reflection in the mirror and was immensely satisfied. Her hair was swept back into a loose bun, and she had tendrils in the front as well as the back.  _This dress looks amazing on me…I'm not one to think I'm perfect…but tonight, I definitely feel it._

Lizzie and Hermione met Victor and Ivan by the entrance doors . Victor immediately pulled her aside. Lizzie watched them and realized that Hermione was telling the truth. She was going to have fun tonight, with or without Ron.

"You look amazing," Ivan said.

Lizzie started to blush. "Thank you." He took her hand and gave her knuckles a little kiss.

"Now, I know I'm not the boy you want to be with but…"

Lizzie cut him off, "It doesn't matter. You are my friend, and I am glad to be here with you."

He laughed, "All right, and I promise I won't hog you the entire evening."

They stepped in line to enter the Great Hall behind Hermione and Victor as they entered, they were being stopped.

The man at the door gave his speech to everyone, "Professor Dumbledore wanted to add a little twist to tonight's event. He wanted this ball to become a masquerade. So as soon as you step into these doors, you will receive a mask that matches your outfit. You will recognize only your date, and you will magically forget who is wearing what and what people look like. He believes that it will be a fun little game for everyone to play. So if you will proceed through the doors."

"Interesting…" Ivan said.

"It sounds like it will be fun." Lizzie stated.

"But what if you can't find Draco?"

Lizzie laughed, "Well are you just a romantic? But, I'm not worried, we will find each other."

"I'm sure…it will be exactly like Romeo meeting Juliet!" He exclaimed.

"As long as we both don't die, I'm fine with that."

"Are you ready?"

Lizzie nodded and the entered through the huge set of double doors. On the side table in front of her was her mask. It would only be covering her eyes. It was white, matching her dress perfectly, and it was decorated with curves of gold outlining the corners of the eyes, and Lizzie immediately fell in love with it.

She looked over at Ivan's and saw that his was only black.  _How boring…_ she mused. It reminded her of Zorro's mask.  _In that case, it has the potential of being extremely sexy._

They quickly put their masks on, and walked further in to the room. Lizzie was shocked because she actually could recognize no one.

Ivan could sense her discomfort, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's just a really weird feeling because I know that I know who these people are…I just can't remember them. It's like having amnesia."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But, if everything was normal, I still wouldn't know who most of these people are."

Lizzie laughed, but sobered quickly.  _Maybe I won't find Draco so easily._  "Well, do you want to dance or eat or talk to people?"

"Let's eat!"

"I should have known you would say that." They sat down at a table that already had four people. "Hello everyone." Lizzie said, and then she started to get excited to guess who everyone was. Dumbledore was right, this was going to be fun. The girl besides Lizzie was the center of attention and was talking in a wispy voice.

"Daddy says that all Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are found there."

_Well, there is no way that this isn't Luna._ "Luna?"

She stopped talking and looked in her direction. She had a dreamy smile on her face as she nodded, "Who are you?"

Lizzie tried to answer, but every time she tried to say her name, her mouth would freeze, "I guess I can't answer that." She said sheepishly.

"That's alright, I'll find out who you are sooner or later."

Ivan and Lizzie conversed with the rest of the people as they waited for their food. When it arrived, Lizzie was extremely happy that they decided to eat first. She looked down at her Chicken Parmagan and found it to look very appetizing. It was so good, that Lizzie didn't have any choice but to finish it. She was waiting for Ivan to eat, when someone tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "May I have this dance?"


	14. Finding Draco

Lizzie glanced over at Ivan who gave her a look that said, "Go for it!" As she stepped out of her chair, she gazed at the man who asked her to dance, but couldn't recognize him.  _Damn that stupid rule. I want to know if it's him! Who else would it be though? Well, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out it's him…I hope._

"I thank you for this dance, Miss Lizzie."

Lizzie was shocked, "You know who I am? Already?"

This mysterious man nodded, "You're not that hard to figure out."

"Well, I hope I'm not  _that_  easy to read."

The guy gave Lizzie a smirk in return.  _Hmm…that is definitely not Draco's smirk…but it seems familiar. Why can't I remember who this is?_

Lizzie shrugged it off. She didn't care too much since she just wanted to find Draco.

"I can help you find him." This stranger said.

"What?"

The man didn't answer.

"How do you know that I'm looking for someone…and who I'm looking for?" Lizzie asked shocked.

"Once again, I'll say. You're not that hard to figure out."

This was starting to creep Lizzie out. If only she could remember who this is. He looked so familiar, but she didn't know anybody here that well…where she could recognize him by his mannerisms.

And that's when it hit her.

"Jake."

"It took you long enough to guess."

Lizzie loosened her grip, wanting to get away, but Jake tightened his grip and kept dancing. "Let me go."

"Do you really want that?" He questioned, "I told you, I can help you find him."

Lizzie froze, she couldn't convince herself to trust him. The situations that happened were still very fresh in her mind.

"Who said I needed your help?"

Jake didn't even respond to her question, "I'm really surprised that you didn't realize it was me."

Lizzie kept her mouth shut because she agreed with him. Now that she knew it was Jake, everything really fell into place. He was the only one who called her 'Miss Lizzie' and that definitely was his smirk…

"Just goes to show how much we haven't been together. You would have known in an instant it was me if we were back at Hopkins."

"Well…you can't change the past."

"Not necessarily."

"Shut up." He was pulling her chain, and Lizzie knew him well enough to see that. "Why are you here? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Like it or not, I still consider you a friend."

"Hmmm….I didn't know making me feel miserable was a trait one find's in a friend."

"Right, well, I figured I would enjoy the little time I have left with you." They stopped dancing, and he took her hand in his and gave it a quick kiss. "He's the one brooding in the corner with a dark green mask."

Lizzie instantly looked in the corners, and found him within seconds. She laughed at how angry he looked. The girl who was next to Draco, looked equally as mad.  _That must be Pansy. That's what she gets for trying to steal my man._   _Ok, so maybe his isn't mine, but hopefully he will be._  Lizzie turned to thank Jake, but to find that he scampered away.  _I should be happy about that, now; we don't have to have any awkward good-byes._

However, as she made her way to the dark corner, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about how she treated Jake. But her worries disappeared, when Draco gave her a disapproving look as she was walking to him.

This actually amused her more than it pissed her off. Once she was right next to him, she said, "I believe you are expecting me."

He look instantly changed into one of relief, "Lizzie, I'm glad you could make it." He pulled her into a hug, and kept her there.

As she was tightly held in his embrace, one thought was on her mind, "How did you know it was me?"

"Well, anyone else who I gave that look to ran away, and I figured that if you were still approaching me, it had to be you."

He snuggled her in closer, she was happy to be with him…but she thought that his statement was very…unromantic.

"I know what you're thinking." He said.

"Oh, really?" She asked playfully.

"Believe me," he whispered into her ear, "I would have waited all night for you." He pulled her towards the dance floor, "Let's dance!"

_How can people not like him?_  Lizzie decided she didn't care. He has always treated her with such care…when he wasn't trying to be mean to her,  _but he has a good heart_.

For being such a quiet person, Draco came alive when he danced. Or, Lizzie liked to believe, that he came alive because he was dancing with her. But, they twisted and shouted the night away. Slowly everyone left the hall. Lizzie and Draco one of three couples left.

"Come on," Draco said.

Lizzie followed Draco without any hesitation.

He took her out of the Great Hall, and headed upwards. Lizzie had no idea where he was taking her, but she couldn't contain the thrill that was spreading inside her. This was the first time that they were together in public… _Well, I guess not really if no one can recognize him._ Lizzie pushed that thought from her mind. She believed that he would have looked for her whether or not people knew.

He went past the third floor, fourth floor, and eventually the fifth, finally Lizzie spoke, "Where are we going?"  _Wow. I sound like a little kid in the backseat of the car going, 'Are we there yet'._ But to her relief, Draco just chuckled.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it." Once they reached the top floor, Draco paused for a moment. Confusion was all over Lizzie's face. He kept staring at the ceiling so Lizzie decided to follow his lead. She just waited, and eventually a long ladder dropped from the ceiling.

"Isn't this where divination is?" Lizzie thought Draco wasn't a fan of that class.

"You'll see. You are pretty impatient, you know that?"

"Mayyyyybe,"

As they made it to the top, it was the divination room as Lizzie expected.  _I don't know what we are doing here._  Draco went over to the window that surveyed the courtyard and gave it a little shove. It disappeared, and they were free to scale the building. He turned to her and extended his hand, "Come on."

"Are you kidding?" Lizzie yelled, "I could die!"

"Do you trust me?"

"Well…yeah." And that was the truth, she decided. She took his hand and stepped out on to the ledge. There was about a foot of ledge, which she was feeling confident about. They walked on the ledge for about five minutes and they came to a some sort of deck. It was furnished with chairs, a table, and even a pool! "How did you find this?"

"Oh Lizzie, let me keep my secrets." He pulled her to the railing and glanced upwards to the skies. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Lizzie murmured her agreement.

He turned to her and took both of her hands. "I came here after Jake…stole you." He seemed angry, but took a deep breath to calm down. "And, I came to the conclusion, that…that I need you in my life. I want you here with me every second."

He pulled into his robe's pocket and pulled out a square box.

_Oh. My. Gosh._

Draco started to laugh. "I'm not asking you to marry me. I just wanted to give you something to show how much I care…because I haven't exactly been doing the best job of it."

He opened the box and took her hand. He slid the ring onto her middle finger and it fit perfectly. It was a silver band, with a huge emerald in the center surrounded by very tiny diamonds. It was beautiful.

"Draco…it's beautiful." She looked up at him to finish her sentence, but found that he was much closer to her than she assumed. He was staring at her lips, and he leaned in closer. Lizzie had no objection to that, and she closed the distance between them. It felt like forever since they last kissed, but this one, Lizzie believed, blew the other one out of the water.

At first it was gentle and sweet, but then Draco pulled her toward him, and it got more intense. It was full of passion and intensity, everything he couldn't put into words, he put in the kiss.

Lizzie pulled out and looked at him. He met her gaze and smiled. "Thank you Lizzie, for bringing out the best in me." Lizzie returned the smile, and once again, closed the gap between them. This was the night for forgetting all the bad between them and focusing on the good.

 


End file.
